Synonyms of dry in English:

dry

See US English definition of dry

See UK English definition of dry

See Spanish definition of seco

adjective

1‘the dry desert lay behind’

SYNONYMS

arid, parched, scorched, baked, burned, dried out, dried up, torrid, hot, sizzling, burning

waterless, moistureless, rainless

dehydrated, desiccated

thirsty

as dry as a bone, bone dry, as dry as dust

rare droughty, torrefied

ANTONYMS

wet

2‘the crackle of dry leaves’

SYNONYMS

parched, dried, withered, shrivelled, wilted, wizened

crisp, crispy, brittle

dehydrated, desiccated, sun-baked

sapless, juiceless

ANTONYMS

fresh

3‘the hamburgers were dry’

SYNONYMS

hard, hardened, dried out, stale, old, past its best, past its sell-by date, off

ANTONYMS

fresh, moist

4‘the river is dry’

SYNONYMS

waterless, dried out, empty

5‘I brought a few beers in case you got dry’

SYNONYMS

thirsty, dehydrated, longing for a drink

informal parched, gasping

6‘it was dry work’

SYNONYMS

thirst-making, thirst-provoking, thirsty, hot, strenuous, arduous, heavy, tiring, exhausting

7‘a piece of dry toast’

SYNONYMS

unbuttered, plain, butterless

8‘the story brings the dry facts to life’

SYNONYMS

bare, simple, basic, fundamental, stark, naked, bald, cold, hard, straightforward

unadorned, unembellished

ANTONYMS

embellished

9‘a dry debate on science policy’

SYNONYMS

dull, uninteresting, boring, unexciting, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, dreary, monotonous, dry as dust, arid

unimaginative, sterile, flat, bland, insipid, lacklustre, stodgy, colourless, lifeless, prosaic, run-of-the-mill, humdrum, mundane, commonplace, workaday, quotidian, routine, vapid

stiff, leaden, wooden

informal deadly

British informal samey

Scottish informal dreich

ANTONYMS

interesting, lively

10‘he's got a dry sense of humour’

SYNONYMS

wry, subtle, low-key, laconic, sly, sharp

deadpan, straight-faced, poker-faced

ironic, sardonic, sarcastic, cynical, mordant, biting

satirical, mocking, scoffing, droll, waggish

British informal sarky

11‘he was nonplussed by this dry response to his cordial advance’

SYNONYMS

unemotional, indifferent, undemonstrative, impassive, cool, cold, clinical, passionless, emotionless

aloof, reserved, remote, distant, restrained, impersonal, formal, stiff, rigid, wooden, starchy

ANTONYMS

emotional, expressive

12‘sorry, this is a dry state’

SYNONYMS

Prohibitionist

teetotal, alcohol-free, non-drinking, abstinent

clean, sober

informal on the wagon, straight

13‘dry white wine’

SYNONYMS

crisp, sharp, piquant, not sweet, tart, bitter

ANTONYMS

sweet

14‘they deliberately selected dry candidates’

SYNONYMS

monetarist

arch-conservative, right-wing, reactionary

Economics supply-side

informal true-blue

ANTONYMS

wet, left-wing

verb

1‘the hot sun had dried the ground again’

SYNONYMS

make dry, dry out, dry up, parch, scorch, sear, bake

dehydrate, desiccate, dehumidify

ANTONYMS

moisten

2‘dry the leaves and break them into small pieces’

SYNONYMS

dry up, dehydrate, desiccate

wither, shrivel, wilt, wizen, mummify

ANTONYMS

moisten

3‘I saw you drying your hair’

SYNONYMS

dry off, towel, towel-dry, rub

mop up, blot up, soak up, absorb, sop up, clean up

drain

4‘she dried her eyes’

SYNONYMS

wipe, wipe tears from, rub, dab

5‘there are various methods of drying meat’

SYNONYMS

desiccate, dehydrate, remove the moisture from

preserve, cure, smoke

noun

1‘on economic policy he is a dry’

SYNONYMS

monetarist

arch-conservative, right-winger, reactionary

Economics supply-sider

ANTONYMS

wet, left-winger

Phrases

dry out

‘he has spent periods drying out in a clinic’

SYNONYMS

give up drinking, give up alcohol, become teetotal, overcome alcoholism, take the pledge

informal go on the wagon

dry up

1‘then he dried up, and Phil couldn't get another word out of him’

SYNONYMS

stop speaking, stop talking, fall silent, say no more, shut up

forget one's lines, forget one's words

informal put a sock in it

British informal belt up

2‘foreign investment may dry up’

SYNONYMS

dwindle, wane, disappear, fail, vanish, subside, peter out, fade, fade away, die away, die off, die out, taper off, trail away, trail off, ebb, melt away, evaporate, come to nothing, come to a an end, come to a halt end, run out, give out

become unproductive, grow barren, grow sterile, cease to yield

ANTONYMS

continue