dry
adjective
1. free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
- dry land
- dry clothes
- a dry climate
Similar word(s): adust, baked, parched, scorched, sunbaked, arid, waterless, desiccated, dried, sear, sere, shriveled, shrivelled, withered, rainless, semiarid, thirsty
2. humorously sarcastic or mocking
- dry humor
Similar word(s): humorous, humourous, ironic, ironical, wry
3. lacking moisture or volatile components
- dry paint
4. opposed to or prohibiting the production and sale of alcoholic beverages
- the dry vote led by preachers and bootleggers
- a dry state
5. not producing milk
- a dry cow
Similar word(s): milkless
6. (of liquor) having a low residual sugar content because of decomposition of sugar during fermentation
- a dry white burgundy
- a dry Bordeaux
Similar word(s): nonsweet, sugarless, brut, sec, unsweet, sour
7. without a mucous or watery discharge
- a dry cough
- that rare thing in the wintertime; a small child with a dry nose
8. not shedding tears
- dry sobs
- with dry eyes
Similar word(s): tearless
9. lacking interest or stimulation; dull and lifeless
- a dry book
- a dry lecture filled with trivial details
Similar word(s): unexciting, unstimulating, juiceless
10. used of solid substances in contrast with liquid ones
- dry weight
Similar word(s): solid
11. unproductive especially of the expected results
- a dry run
- a mind dry of new ideas
Similar word(s): unproductive
12. having no adornment or coloration
- dry facts
- rattled off the facts in a dry mechanical manner
Similar word(s): plain
13. (of food) eaten without a spread or sauce or other garnish
- dry toast
- dry meat
Similar word(s): plain
14. having a large proportion of strong liquor
- a very dry martini is almost straight gin
Similar word(s): alcoholic
15. lacking warmth or emotional involvement
- a dry greeting
- a dry reading of the lines
- a dry critique
Similar word(s): unemotional
16. practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages
- he's been dry for ten years
Similar word(s): sober, teetotal
Sentences with dry as an adjective:
- Could you hand me a dry towel?
- My throat feels itchy and dry.
- Cover the chicken as it bakes or it'll get too dry.
- Dry alcohol is 200 proof.
- I like to take a dry sherry before lunch on Sundays.
- A former alcoholic, he's been dry for almost a year now.
- You'll have to drive out of this dry county to find any liquor.
- It was a dry house.
- The cow is dry.
- a very dry lecture on archaeology