- 1not wet, damp, or sticky; without water or moisture Is my shirt dry yet? Store onions in a cool dry place. I'm afraid this cake has turned out very dry. Her mouth felt as dry as a bone (= completely dry). When the paint is completely dry, apply another coat. It was high summer and the rivers were dry (= had no water in them). see bone dry opposite wet
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little rain - 2with very little rain weeks of hot dry weather the dry season I hope it stays dry for our picnic. Rattlesnakes live in the warmer, drier parts of North America. opposite wet
- 3without the natural oils that makes it soft and healthy a shampoo for dry hair cough
- 4that does not produce any phlegm (= the thick liquid that forms in the nose and throat) a dry hacking cough bread
- 5eaten on its own without any butter, etc. Breakfast consisted of dry bread and a cup of coffee. wine
- 6not sweet a crisp, dry white wine a dry sherry This wine is too dry for me. opposite sweet humor
- 7(approving) amusing but expressed in a quiet way that is not obvious, often using irony He was a man of few words with a dry sense of humor.
- 8not showing emotion a dry voice boring
- 9not interesting Government reports tend to make dry reading. without alcohol
- 10without alcohol; where it is illegal to buy, sell, or drink alcohol The state was dry on Sundays. a dry county/state see dryly
not wet
noun [uncountable]Idioms
to take away all someone's money The big corporations are bleeding some of these small countries dry.
- 1(of a boat, etc.) in a position out of the water Their yacht was left high and dry on a sandbank.
- 2in a difficult situation, without help or money
to remain ready for a possible emergency
to get from someone or something all the money, help, information, etc. they have, usually giving nothing in return By earning millions from racing and giving pennies back, the bookmakers are sucking the sport dry.
used to say that everyone was very emotional about something There wasn't a dry eye in the house when they announced their engagement.
to stop supplying water; to be all used so that none is left The wells in most villages in the region have run dry. Vaccine supplies started to run dry as the flu outbreak reached epidemic proportions. Native resources of scientific talent and ingenuity have not run dry.
to get as much money, information, etc. out of someone as you canSee dry in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: dry