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

moist

adjective
 
/mɔɪst/
 
/mɔɪst/
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  1. slightly wet
    • The warm moist air is perfect for growing fruit trees.
    • a rich moist cake
    • Water the plants regularly to keep the soil moist.
    • Her eyes were moist (= with tears).
    Synonyms wetwetmoist damp soaked drenched saturatedThese words all describe things covered with or full of liquid, especially water.wet covered with or full of liquid, especially water:
    • The car had skidded on the wet road.
    • You’ll get wet (= in the rain) if you go out now.
    moist slightly wet, often in a way that is pleasant or useful:
    • a lovely rich moist cake
    damp slightly wet, often in a way that is unpleasant:
    • The cottage was cold and damp.
    soaked (rather informal) very wet:
    • You’re soaked through! (= completely wet)
    drenched very wet:
    • We were caught in the storm and came home drenched to the skin.
    soaked or drenched?Both of these words can be used with with or in: soaked/​drenched with/​in sweat/​blood. Soaked but not usually drenched can also be used before a noun: their soaked clothestheir drenched clothes saturated very wet:
    • The ground is completely saturated: it would be pointless to plant anything.
    Patterns
    • wet/​moist/​damp/​soaked/​drenched/​saturated with something
    • soaked/​drenched in something
    • somebody’s coat/​shirt/​shoes/​clothes/​hair is/​are wet/​damp/​soaked/​drenched
    • wet/​moist/​damp/​saturated ground/​earth
    • to get wet/​moist/​damp/​soaked/​drenched/​saturated
    Extra Examples
    • Her skin felt moist and feverish.
    • His fingers were becoming moist with sweat.
    • Keep the atmosphere in your greenhouse slightly moist throughout the spring.
    • Try to keep the soil evenly moist.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • feel
    • look
    adverb
    • very
    • a little
    • slightly
    preposition
    • with
    See full entry
    Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French moiste, based on Latin mucidus ‘mouldy’ (influenced by musteus ‘fresh’, from mustum, neuter (used as a noun) of mustus ‘new’).
See moist in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee moist in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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noun
 
 
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