humid

humid — adjective

1. describes air or weather that holds a large amount of moisture, making the air f

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes air or weather that holds a large amount of moisture, making the air feel wet, sticky, and often uncomfortable to be in

Example

The air near the river felt so humid that Sivan's shirt was damp within minutes.

so humid that [consequence]

Nila prefers a dry climate because humid weather makes her feel tired.

humid weather + makes [person] feel [adjective]

Common collocations
  • humid air
  • humid climate
  • humid weather
  • humid conditions
  • hot and humid
  • warm and humid
  • humid summer
Synonyms
  • muggy

    more informal; always implies uncomfortable warmth — muggy weather is always hot and humid

  • damp

    weaker and applies to surfaces, objects, or air; a towel can be damp but not humid

  • moist

    neutral, less intense; can describe food or skin, which humid cannot

  • sticky

    informal; describes the physical feeling on the skin caused by humid air

Antonyms
  • dry

    the direct opposite — air with very little moisture

Grammar Patterns

it is humid

the [noun] is humid

hot and humid / warm and humid

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively about the air, weather, or climate — not about individual objects. You would not call a towel 'humid'; instead use 'damp' or 'wet'. Extremely common in the fixed pair 'hot and humid'. The noun form 'humidity' is often used in weather forecasts.

Common Mistakes

This towel is humid.
This towel is damp.
'Humid' describes air or weather, not single objects.
It is humid today, so I will take my umbrella for rain.
It is humid today
the air feels thick even though it is not raining.' — Humidity is about moisture in the air, not about falling rain.

Word family

  • humidity
    nounB1
  • humidifier
    nounC1
  • humidify
    verbC1
  • dehumidify
    verbC2
  • dehumidifier
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words relate to wetness, but they differ in scope, intensity, and connotation. Humid specifically describes air or weather containing noticeable water vapour, often making the atmosphere feel heavy — it is the standard, neutral term for atmospheric moisture. Muggy is an informal synonym that also implies unpleasant warmth: a muggy day is always hot and humid, but a humid day can be cool (e.g. a humid morning fog over a lake). Damp is weaker and applies to surfaces, materials, or air: a towel can be damp, but calling a towel humid would be incorrect. Moist is neutral and less intense: it can describe food (a moist cake), skin (moisturised skin), or soil, and does not carry the uncomfortable feeling that humid does. Sticky describes the physical sensation of sweaty skin rather than the air itself. For example: 'The air was so humid that my skin felt sticky' uses humid for the air and sticky for the body's response.

humid ↗muggydamp ↗moist ↗sticky ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • hot and humid
  • warm and humid
  • humid and sticky
  • humid and still

Prepositions

  • in (humid in summer)
  • during (humid during the rainy season)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'humidus' meaning 'moist, wet', which comes from 'humere' ('to be moist, be wet'). 'Humere' is related to 'humus' ('earth, ground, soil'), because moistness was associated with the earth. English borrowed the word through French 'humide' in the 16th century, originally retaining the sense of bodily moisture before specialising to atmospheric dampness.