moisture

moisture — noun

1. The tiny droplets of water or another liquid that appear in the air, soak into m

1.nounB1
Definition

The tiny droplets of water or another liquid that appear in the air, soak into materials, or settle on surfaces, leaving them slightly damp.

Example

Condensation left tiny droplets of moisture on the cold windowpane.

collocation: droplets of moisture / moisture on [surface]

Ravi checked the soil moisture before watering the tomato plants.

collocation: soil moisture / check moisture

Common collocations
  • absorb moisture
  • retain moisture
  • moisture content
  • moisture level
  • excess moisture
  • trapped moisture
Synonyms
  • dampness

    suggests an uncomfortable or unwanted level of moisture, often in buildings or fabric

  • humidity

    refers specifically to moisture in the air, not in solids; used in weather contexts

  • wetness

    implies a greater amount of liquid than moisture, often visible or dripping

Antonyms
  • dryness

    the complete absence of moisture; opposite condition

Grammar Patterns

moisture + verb

adjective + moisture

Usage Note

An uncountable noun — use 'a drop of moisture' or 'a layer of moisture' rather than 'a moisture'.

Common Mistakes

There was a moisture on the grass.
There was moisture on the grass.
moisture is uncountable and does not take the indefinite article 'a'.

Word family

  • moist
    adjectiveB1
  • moisten
    verbB2
  • moisturize
    verbB2
  • moisturizer
    nounB2
  • moistly
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe the presence of liquid, but they differ in scope and connotation. 'Moisture' is the most neutral and general term — it covers small amounts of liquid in the air, in soil, or on a surface. 'Dampness' carries a slightly negative tone and is used mainly for buildings, walls, or fabric that feel unpleasantly wet (e.g. 'the dampness in the basement'). 'Humidity' is strictly about water vapour in the atmosphere and appears in weather forecasts and discussions of tropical climates. 'Wetness' implies a much higher amount of liquid that is often visible or running — you would talk about the wetness of a freshly washed car, not the wetness of the morning air. For everyday situations like checking a plant's soil or describing fogged-up windows, 'moisture' is the safest and most frequent choice.

dampnesshumiditywetness

Common collocations

Nouns

  • air moisture
  • soil moisture
  • surface moisture
  • atmospheric moisture

Phrases

  • moisture in the air
  • moisture on the surface
  • level of moisture
  • amount of moisture

Prepositions

  • in the moisture
  • with moisture
  • through moisture

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Moisture comes from the Old French word 'moisture', meaning 'dampness', which itself traces back to the Latin 'mucidus' (mouldy, musty) and earlier 'mucere' (to be mouldy or musty). The link between 'moist' and 'mouldy' shows that early speakers associated dampness with decay.