dry
dry — verb
1. to become free of water or other liquid, or to cause something to become free of
to become free of water or other liquid, or to cause something to become free of water or other liquid.
Takeshi dried his hands with a clean towel before opening the door.
transitive: dry + object (hands)
Mira dried her wet coat in front of the fireplace after coming inside.
transitive: dry + object (coat)
The fresh paint on the garden bench dried in just three hours.
intransitive: subject (paint) + dried
Hamza dried the kitchen counters with a cloth after washing them.
transitive: dry + object (counters) + with + tool
Ada dried her hair quickly so she would not be late for class.
- dry something with a towel
- dry in the sun
- dry by the fire
- dry naturally
- dry thoroughly
- dry your hands / hair / clothes
Grammar Patterns
dry + object (clothes/hands/hair)
subject + dry/dries/dried (paint/cloth/ground)
Usage Note
Object is typically something that is wet or damp: clothes, hands, hair, dishes, paint, or surfaces. The intransitive use describes the natural process of moisture disappearing (e.g., 'The ground dried after the rain stopped').
Common Mistakes
2. to make plates, knives, forks, glasses, or other washed kitchen items free of wa
to make plates, knives, forks, glasses, or other washed kitchen items free of water using a cloth or by letting the water drip off.
Isabela dried the dishes while her brother washed them.
transitive: dry the dishes
After dinner, Tamar dried all the cutlery and put it back in the drawer.
transitive: dry the cutlery
Hassan dried every glass carefully to avoid leaving water spots on them.
transitive: dry + glass/cup
Matthew dried the plates with a soft cloth and stacked them on the shelf.
- dry the dishes
- dry the plates
- dry the cutlery / silverware
- dry with a tea towel
- dry and put away
- wash and dry
- wipe
broader meaning — can be used for surfaces other than dishes
Grammar Patterns
dry + object (dishes/plates/glasses/cutlery)
Usage Note
Limited to kitchen and tableware contexts. This sense is almost always transitive — you dry the dishes, not *the dishes dry (while meaning this action). For dishes drying on their own, use sense 1 intransitively.
Common Mistakes
dry off
phrasal verbto become dry on the surface, or to make something dry on the surface, usually after being in water or rain.
After swimming in the pool, the children dried off with their towels before going back inside.
Takeshi dried off his feet before putting on his socks.
dry out
phrasal verbto become completely dry, or to cause something to become completely dry, especially after it has been soaked or very damp for a period of time.
Mira left her wet boots by the radiator to let them dry out overnight.
The wet soil in the garden dried out after a week without rain.
dry up
phrasal verb1) to become completely dry with no water or liquid left, especially of rivers, lakes, or water sources. 2) to no longer be available or to stop being produced, used especially of money, resources, or ideas.
The river near the village dried up during the long summer drought.
After the first year, the funding for the research project dried up completely.
dry — noun
1. a place or area that is not wet, especially somewhere sheltered from rain or flo
a place or area that is not wet, especially somewhere sheltered from rain or floodwater
After the storm, we moved all the boxes into the dry.
the dry = a dry, sheltered place
The children ran from the pond back to the dry.
Daichi left his wet boots in the shed to keep them in the dry.
in the dry = in a dry environment
Felipe wrapped his camera in a towel and put it in the dry.
- into the dry
- in the dry
- out of the dry
- the safety of the dry
- wet
a wet place or area
Grammar Patterns
the dry
Usage Note
Usually appears as 'the dry' — a fixed noun phrase referring to a dry location. Rarely used with an article other than 'the' or in plural form.
Common Mistakes
high and dry
idiomin a difficult situation without help or the things that you need
When the bus broke down in the middle of nowhere, the passengers were left high and dry.
to take all of someone's money or resources, leaving them with nothing
The legal fees bled Salma's savings dry within a year.
run dry
idiomIf a supply or source of something runs dry, it is completely used up and no more is available
After months without rain, the village wells ran dry.
dry — adjective
1. describing an object or surface that is not wet and contains no liquid of any ki
describing an object or surface that is not wet and contains no liquid of any kind
Zuri put on dry socks after walking home in the rain.
collocation: dry clothes/socks
Make sure the paint is fully dry before you close the window.
pattern: linking verb + dry
The ground was so dry and hard that nothing would grow there.
Eli wiped the table with a clean dry cloth before setting the plates.
- dry clothes
- dry ground
- dry surface
- dry paint
- keep dry
- dry towel
Grammar Patterns
dry + noun (clothes/ground/surface)
be/look/feel/keep + dry
Usage Note
Can be used before a noun (a dry towel) or after linking verbs like 'be', 'feel', or 'stay' (the shirt is still dry).
Common Mistakes
2. relating to weather or a period with little or no rainfall
relating to weather or a period with little or no rainfall
The region has been experiencing unusually dry weather this year.
collocation: dry weather
We were lucky to have a dry day for the school sports event.
The dry season in northern Australia lasts from May to October.
collocation: dry season
Farmers worried as the dry spring gave way to an even hotter summer.
- dry weather
- dry season
- dry day
- dry climate
- dry spell
Grammar Patterns
dry + noun (weather/season/day/climate)
be + dry
Common Mistakes
3. used after 'go' or 'run' to describe a river, lake, or well that loses all its w
used after 'go' or 'run' to describe a river, lake, or well that loses all its water over time
After two years of drought, the river finally ran dry.
pattern: run dry
Many wells in the village have gone dry this summer.
pattern: go dry
The small stream near Kenji's house runs dry every hot summer.
The reservoir has gone dry twice in the past ten years.
- run dry
- go dry
Grammar Patterns
go + dry
run + dry
Usage Note
This sense is used only in the patterns 'go dry' or 'run dry'. Do not place 'dry' before a noun for this meaning — 'a dry river' means a river without water (sense 1), not a river whose water is disappearing.
Common Mistakes
4. used of hair or skin that lacks the natural oils needed to stay soft and smooth
used of hair or skin that lacks the natural oils needed to stay soft and smooth
Anjali uses a rich moisturiser for her dry skin every night.
collocation: dry skin
The shampoo left Quinn's hair feeling dry and rough.
Cold winter winds can leave your hands feeling dry and cracked.
The doctor gave Selim a special cream for his dry and itchy elbows.
- dry skin
- dry hair
- dry hands
- dry scalp
- dry lips
- dry elbows
- rough
describes the texture of dry skin rather than the lack of oil itself
Grammar Patterns
dry + noun (skin/hair/hands/scalp)
be/feel + dry
5. describing plain bread or similar food eaten without butter, jam, sauce, or any
describing plain bread or similar food eaten without butter, jam, sauce, or any other spread
Selim ate dry bread for breakfast because there was no butter left.
collocation: dry bread
The children refused to eat the dry toast without any jam on it.
On long hikes, they packed nothing but dry crackers and a bottle of water.
Grandma always ate her crackers dry because she did not like cheese.
- dry bread
- dry toast
- dry crackers
- dry biscuits
- plain
a more general word meaning 'without extra ingredients or toppings'
- buttered
with butter spread on it
Grammar Patterns
dry + noun (bread/toast/crackers/biscuits)
Usage Note
This sense is most commonly used before a noun (attributive position). It is used for food that is usually eaten with a spread but is served without one.
6. not interesting or exciting, and often too serious or plain in style
not interesting or exciting, and often too serious or plain in style
The lecture on tax law was so dry that half the class fell asleep.
collocation: dry lecture
Zuri found the history textbook too dry to read for more than ten minutes.
Kenji struggled to stay awake during the dry presentation about office rules.
The novel was dry and slow, with no action or exciting dialogue at all.
- dry lecture
- dry subject
- dry book
- dry talk
- dry presentation
- dry material
- interesting
holding your attention
- lively
full of energy and excitement
- engaging
interesting in a way that makes you want to pay attention
Grammar Patterns
dry + noun (book/lecture/subject/talk/presentation)
be + dry
Common Mistakes
7. A dry place, event, or period of time is one where alcoholic drinks are not avai
A dry place, event, or period of time is one where alcoholic drinks are not available or are not allowed.
The wedding reception was a dry event, so Ramón brought his own sparkling water.
collocation: dry event / dry wedding / dry party
In some regions, there are dry counties where the sale of alcohol is illegal.
Anna's family held a dry party, serving only juice and tea to their guests.
collocation: dry party
The company picnic was completely dry, which surprised a few of the staff.
- dry county
- dry state
- dry wedding
- dry party
- dry event
- dry region
- dry campus
- dry country
- alcohol-free
more neutral; describes the drink itself rather than the event or location
- temperance
formal and historical; describes a movement or policy, not everyday events
- wet
colloquial opposite; a 'wet' county or event allows alcohol
Usage Note
Commonly used to describe public events, religious celebrations, or geographical areas where alcohol is restricted by law or custom.
Common Mistakes
8. When a wine, cider, or similar fermented beverage contains hardly any leftover s
When a wine, cider, or similar fermented beverage contains hardly any leftover sugar, people describe its taste as dry rather than sweet.
Joon prefers dry white wine because it pairs well with seafood.
collocation: dry white wine / dry red wine
This bottle of dry sherry adds a rich flavour to the soup.
Élise asked the waiter for a dry rosé to go with the salad.
collocation: dry rosé
Nellie tried the wine but found it too sweet and asked for a dryer option.
A dry champagne has a crisp taste with very little sugar.
collocation: dry champagne / dry sparkling wine
- dry wine
- dry white wine
- dry red wine
- dry sherry
- dry champagne
- dry martini
- dry rosé
- dry cider
- extra dry
- dry finish
- brut
used specifically for sparkling wines and champagne; means very dry
- sec
French term; appears on wine labels as slightly sweet, not actually dry
- unsweetened
more general term; can apply to any drink or food
Usage Note
Wine labels use specific terms for sweetness levels: 'brut' (very dry), 'extra dry' (slightly sweet), and 'demi-sec' (sweet). A 'dry' wine is less sweet than 'off-dry' but not as sharp as 'brut'.
Common Mistakes
9. Dry humour makes people laugh through clever understatement or irony that is del
Dry humour makes people laugh through clever understatement or irony that is delivered subtly and is not obvious at first.
Ilan's dry humour often goes unnoticed by people who do not know him well.
collocation: dry humour / dry sense of humour
Her dry comments about the terrible meeting made a few colleagues laugh quietly.
The actor is famous for his dry wit and perfectly timed pauses on stage.
collocation: dry wit
You have to listen carefully to catch Mei-Lin's dry sense of humor.
- dry humour
- dry wit
- dry sense of humour
- dry remark
- dry comment
- dry joke
- dry delivery
- dry style
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 6 (boring): 'dry humour' is positive — it means clever and entertaining in a subtle way. A 'dry' book or speech is dull and uninteresting.
Common Mistakes
(as) dry as a bone
idiomcompletely dry, with no water or moisture at all
After the long hot summer, the river bed was as dry as a bone.
The washing was dry as a bone after only an hour in the sun.
to leave someone in a difficult situation without any help or support
The travel company went bankrupt and left hundreds of customers high and dry.
Quinn's ride home cancelled at the last minute, leaving her high and dry at the station.
be home and dry
idiomTo have successfully completed something, especially after a difficult effort.
After passing the final exam, Mia was home and dry.
If we finish this report by noon, we'll be home and dry.
bleed somebody dry
idiomTo take all of someone's money, often gradually or unfairly.
The landlord bled his tenants dry with hidden fees.
Did the investment scheme bleed those retirees dry?
high and dry
idiomLeft in a position out of the water, usually referring to a boat or ship.
The fishing boat was left high and dry on the rocks.
After the tide went out, the kayak sat high and dry.
keep your powder dry
idiomTo stay ready for a possible emergency or difficult situation.
Keep your powder dry in case the storm gets worse.
The team kept their powder dry for the final match.
To take all the money, help, or information from someone or something, giving nothing back.
The corporation milked the small farm dry for its resources.
Did the reporter suck the source dry for every detail?
Used to say that everyone was very emotional, often crying.
At the wedding, there was not a dry eye in the house.
When the soldier returned home, not a dry eye in the house.
run dry
idiomTo stop providing water or to be completely used up so that none is left.
The river ran dry after months of no rain.
Our savings account ran dry during the emergency.
squeeze somebody dry
idiomTo get as much money or information from someone as possible, often by pressure.
The tax collector squeezed the small business dry.
Did the interrogator squeeze the spy dry for secrets?
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
dry 是最通用的詞，表示沒有水分或液體，可廣泛用於物品、天氣、皮膚等；arid（乾旱的）特指氣候或土地長期乾燥，幾乎無降雨，語氣比 dry 強烈，如 arid desert（乾旱的沙漠）。parched（焦乾的）指因炎熱或缺水而變得極度乾燥，帶有「渴求水分」的暗示，如 parched lips（乾裂的嘴唇）或 parched earth（乾裂的土地）。dried 強調「原本是濕的，經過程變成乾的」，如 dried flowers（乾燥花），與 dry 的靜態描述不同。barren（貧瘠的／不毛的）則強調土地無法生長作物，不一定與水分直接相關。
Common collocations
Phrases
- bone dry
- run dry
- go dry
- dry as a bone
- high and dry
- keep dry
- leave someone high and dry
- bleed something dry
- dry spell
- dry run
Etymology
dry 源自古英語 drȳge（意為「不含水分的」），與荷蘭語 droog、德語 trocken 同源。中古英語時期演變為 drye，最終成為現代英語 dry。