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Definition of dry adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

dry

adjective
 
 
/draɪ/
 
/draɪ/
(comparative drier, superlative driest)
Idioms
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    not wet

  1.  
     not wet 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.
    • Some plants grow better in dry soil.
    • When the paint is completely dry, apply another coat.
    • We managed to stay dry by huddling in a doorway.
    • Her mouth felt as dry as a bone (= completely dry).
    • It was high summer and the rivers were dry (= had no water in them).
    see also bone dry opposite wet
    Extra Examples
    • He towelled himself dry.
    • Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry.
    • Ruth felt her mouth go dry.
    • This type of wound is best kept dry without a dressing.
    • The ink was barely dry on the agreement before fighting broke out again.
    Topics Cooking and eatinga2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • feel
    • look
    • …
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    • …
    See full entry
    2.

    little rain

  2.  
     with very little rain
    • weeks of hot, dry weather
    • the dry season
    • I hope it stays dry for our picnic.
    • There is every prospect of the weather remaining dry this week.
    • Rattlesnakes occur in the warmer, drier parts of North America.
    • The day will start bright and mainly dry.
    Extra Examples
    • New Zealand has hot, dry summers and cold winters.
    • Crops may need to survive hotter and drier climates caused by global warming.
    • The coming weekend will be warm and dry.
    Topics Geographya2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • feel
    • look
    • …
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    • …
    See full entry
    3. opposite wet

    skin/hair

  3. without the natural oils that makes it soft and healthy
    • a shampoo for dry hair
    4.

    cough

  4. that does not produce any phlegm (= the thick liquid that forms in the nose and throat)
    • a dry hacking cough
    5.

    bread

  5. eaten on its own without any butter, jam, etc.
    • Breakfast consisted of dry bread and a cup of tea.
    6.

    wine

  6. not sweet
    • a crisp dry white wine
    • a dry sherry
    • This wine is too dry for me.
    7. opposite sweet

    humour

  7. (approving) very clever and expressed in a quiet way that is not obvious; often using irony
    • He was a man of few words with a delightful dry sense of humour.
    • She quickly built up a reputation for her dry wit.
    8.

    without emotion

  8. not showing emotion
    • a dry voice
    • ‘He may not last the night,’ she said in a dry tone.
    • He replied in a cold, dry manner.
    9.

    boring

  9. not interesting
    • Government reports tend to make dry reading.
    • They were conducting a dry debate on science policy.
    10.

    without alcohol

  10. without alcohol; where it is illegal to buy, sell or drink alcohol
    • We had a dry wedding (= no alcoholic drinks were served).
    • a dry county/state
    • He's been dry (= has drunk no alcohol) for a year now.
    11.

    thirsty

  11. (informal, especially British English) thirsty; that makes you thirsty
    • I'm a bit dry.
    • This is dry work.
    Topics Feelingsc2
    12. Word OriginOld English drȳge (adjective), drȳgan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Middle Low German dröge, Dutch droog, and German trocken.
Idioms
be home and dry (British English)
(North American English be home free)
  1. to have done something successfully, especially when it was difficult
    • I could see the finish line and thought I was home and dry.
    Topics Successc2
bleed somebody dry
  1. (disapproving) to take away all somebody’s money
    • The big corporations are bleeding some of these small countries dry.
high and dry
  1. (of a boat, etc.) in a position out of the water
    • Their yacht was left high and dry on a sandbank.
  2. in a difficult situation, without help or money
    More Like This Rhyming pairs in idiomsRhyming pairs in idioms
keep your powder dry
  1. (old-fashioned) to remain ready for a possible emergency
milk/suck somebody/something dry
  1. to get from somebody/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.
not a dry eye in the house
  1. (humorous) used to say that everyone was very emotional about something
    • There wasn't a dry eye in the house when they announced their engagement.
run dry
  1. 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.
    • Our resources of scientific talent and ingenuity have not run dry.
squeeze somebody dry
  1. to get as much money, information, etc. out of somebody as you can
See dry in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee dry in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: dry

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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