Wet vs. Dry — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Wet and Dry
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Definitions
Wet
Covered or saturated with water or another liquid
She followed, slipping on the wet rock
Dry
Free from moisture or liquid; not wet or moist
He wiped the table dry with his shirt
The jacket kept me warm and dry
Wet
Showing a lack of forcefulness or strength of character; feeble
They thought the cadets were a bit wet
Dry
(of information, writing, etc.) dully factual
The dry facts of the matter
Wet
(of a country or region or of its legislation) allowing the free sale of alcoholic drink.
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Dry
(of a joke or sense of humour) subtle and expressed in a matter-of-fact way
He delighted his friends with a dry, covert sense of humour
Wet
Cover or touch with liquid; moisten
He wetted a finger and flicked through the pages
Dry
Prohibiting the sale or consumption of alcoholic drink
The country is strictly dry, in accordance with Islamic law
Wet
Liquid that makes something damp
I could feel the wet of his tears
Dry
(of an alcoholic drink) not sweet
A dry, medium-bodied red wine
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Wet
A person lacking forcefulness or strength of character
There are sorts who look like gangsters and sorts who look like wets
Dry
Relating to political ‘dries’; rigidly monetarist.
Wet
A person opposed to the prohibition of alcohol.
Dry
Become dry
Waiting for the paint to dry
Pools are left as the rivers dry up
Do not let the soil dry out
Wet
Covered or soaked with a liquid, such as water
A wet towel.
Dry
Forget one's lines
A colleague of mine once dried in the middle of a scene
Wet
Not yet dry or firm
Wet paint.
Dry
The process or an instance of drying.
Wet
Stored in or prepared with water or other liquids.
Dry
A dry or covered place.
Wet
Characterized by the use or presence of water or liquid reagents
Wet chemistry.
Dry
A Conservative politician (especially in the 1980s) in favour of strict monetarist policies.
Wet
Involving the performance of experiments rather than the design or analysis of them
A wet lab.
Dry
A person in favour of the prohibition of alcohol
Evangelical dries had seen to it that the nearest bottle of whiskey was miles away
Wet
Rainy, humid, or foggy
Wet weather.
Dry
Free from liquid or moisture
Changed to dry clothes.
Wet
Characterized by frequent or heavy precipitation
A wet climate.
Dry
Having or characterized by little or no rain
A dry climate.
Wet
(Informal) Allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages
A wet county.
Dry
Marked by the absence of natural or normal moisture
A dry month.
Wet
Something that wets; moisture.
Dry
Not under water
Dry land.
Wet
Rainy or snowy weather
Go out into the wet.
Dry
Having all the water or liquid drained away, evaporated, or exhausted
A dry river.
Wet
(Informal) One who supports the legality of the production and sale of alcoholic beverages.
Dry
No longer yielding liquid, especially milk
A dry cow.
Wet
To make wet; dampen
Wet a sponge.
Dry
Not producing a liquid substance that is normally produced
Dry heaves.
Wet
To make (a bed or one's clothes) wet by urinating.
Dry
Not shedding tears
Dry sobs.
Wet
To become wet.
Dry
Needing moisture or drink
A dry mouth.
Wet
To urinate.
Dry
No longer wet
The paint is dry.
Wet
Made up of liquid or moisture, usually (but not always) water.
Water is wet.
Dry
Of or relating to solid rather than liquid substances or commodities
Dry weight.
Wet
Of an object, etc.: covered or impregnated with liquid, usually (but not always) water.
I went out in the rain and now my clothes are all wet.
The baby is wet and needs its nappy changed.
Dry
Not sweet as a result of the decomposition of sugar during fermentation. Used of wines.
Wet
Of a burrito, sandwich, or other food: covered in a sauce.
Dry
Having a large proportion of strong liquor to other ingredients
A dry martini.
Wet
Of calligraphy and fountain pens: depositing a large amount of ink from the nib or the feed.
This pen’s a wet writer, so it’ll feather on this cheap paper.
Dry
Eaten or served without butter, gravy, or other garnish
Dry toast.
Dry meat.
Wet
Of a sound recording: having had audio effects applied.
Dry
Having no adornment or coloration; plain
The dry facts.
Wet
Of weather or a time period: rainy.
It’s going to be wet tomorrow.
Dry
Devoid of bias or personal concern
Presented a dry critique.
Wet
(aviation) Using afterburners or water injection for increased engine thrust.
This fighter jet's engine is rated for a maximum wet thrust of 450 kilonewtons, more than twice its max dry thrust, but the afterburner eats up a huge amount of fuel.
Dry
Lacking tenderness, warmth, or involvement; severe
The actor gave a dry reading of the lines.
Wet
(slang) Of a person: inexperienced in a profession or task; having the characteristics of a rookie.
That guy’s wet; after all, he just started yesterday.
Dry
Matter-of-fact or indifferent in manner
Rattled off the facts in a dry mechanical tone.
Wet
Sexually aroused and thus having the vulva moistened with vaginal secretions.
He got me all wet.
Dry
Wearisome; dull
A dry lecture filled with trivial details.
Wet
Ineffectual, feeble, showing no strength of character.
Don’t be so wet.
Dry
Humorous in an understated or unemotional way
Dry wit.
Wet
(retronym) Permitting alcoholic beverages.
Dry
Prohibiting or opposed to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages
A dry county.
Wet
Refreshed with liquor; drunk.
Dry
Unproductive of the expected results
A mind dry of new ideas.
Wet
Of a scientist or laboratory: working with biological or chemical matter.
Dry
Constructed without mortar or cement
Dry masonry.
Wet
(chemistry) Employing, or done by means of, water or some other liquid.
The wet extraction of copper, in distinction from dry extraction in which dry heat or fusion is employed
Dry
To remove the moisture from; make dry
Laundry dried by the sun.
Wet
Involving assassination or "wet work".
A wet affair; a wet job; wet stuff
Dry
To preserve (meat or other foods, for example) by extracting the moisture.
Wet
Of a Quaker: liberal with respect to religious observance.
Dry
To become dry
The sheets dried quickly in the sun.
Wet
Liquid or moisture.
Dry
A prohibitionist.
Wet
Rainy weather.
Don't go out in the wet.
Dry
Free from or lacking moisture.
This towel's dry. Could you wet it and cover the chicken so it doesn't go dry as it cooks?
Wet
(Australia) Rainy season. (often capitalized)
Dry
Unable to produce a liquid, as water, (petrochemistry) oil, or (farming) milk.
This well is as dry as that cow.
Wet
A moderate Conservative; especially, one who opposed the hard-line policies of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
Dry
(masonry) Built without or lacking mortar.
Wet
(colloquial) An alcoholic drink.
Dry
(chemistry) Anhydrous: free from or lacking water in any state, regardless of the presence of other liquids.
Dry alcohol is 200 proof.
Wet
One who supports the consumption of alcohol and thus opposes Prohibition.
Dry
(figurative) Athirst, eager.
Wet
A tyre for use in wet weather.
Dry
Free from or lacking alcohol or alcoholic beverages.
Of course it's a dry house. He was an alcoholic but he's been dry for almost a year now.
Wet
A weak or sentimental person; a wimp or softie.
Dry
(law) Describing an area where sales of alcoholic or strong alcoholic beverages are banned.
You'll have to drive out of this dry county to find any liquor.
Wet
(transitive) To cover or impregnate with liquid.
Dry
Free from or lacking embellishment or sweetness, particularly:
Wet
(transitive) To make (oneself, clothing, a bed, etc.) wet by accidental urination.
Johnny wets the bed several times a week.
She was laughing so hard she wet her pants.
Dry
Low in sugar; lacking sugar; unsweetened.
Proper martinis are made with London dry gin and dry vermouth.
Wet
(intransitive) To make or become wet.
Dry
(humor) Amusing without showing amusement.
Steven Wright has a deadpan delivery, Norm Macdonald has a dry sense of humor, and Oscar Wilde had a dry wit.
Wet
To form an intermetallic bond between a solder and a metal substrate.
Dry
Lacking interest, boring.
A dry lecture may require the professor to bring a water gun in order to keep the students' attention.
Wet
To celebrate by drinking alcohol.
To wet the baby's head
Dry
(fine arts) Exhibiting precise execution lacking delicate contours or soft transitions of color.
Wet
Misspelling of whet
Dry
(aviation) Not using afterburners or water injection for increased thrust.
This fighter jet's engine has a maximum dry thrust of 200 kilonewtons.
Wet
To kill or seriously injure.
Dry
Involving computations rather than work with biological or chemical matter.
Wet
Containing, or consisting of, water or other liquid; moist; soaked with a liquid; having water or other liquid upon the surface; as, wet land; a wet cloth; a wet table.
Dry
(of a sound recording) Free from applied audio effects (especially reverb).
Wet
Very damp; rainy; as, wet weather; a wet season.
Dry
Without a usual complement or consummation; impotent.
Never dry fire a bow
Dry humping her girlfriend
Making a dry run
Wet
Employing, or done by means of, water or some other liquid; as, the wet extraction of copper, in distinction from dry extraction in which dry heat or fusion is employed.
Dry
Of a bite from an animal: not containing the usual venom.
Wet
Refreshed with liquor; drunk.
Dry
(Christianity) Of a mass, service, or rite: involving neither consecration nor communion.
Wet
Water or wetness; moisture or humidity in considerable degree.
Have here a cloth and wipe away the wet.
Now the sun, with more effectual beams,Had cheered the face of earth, and dried the wetFrom drooping plant.
Dry
The process by which something is dried.
This towel is still damp: I think it needs another dry.
Wet
Rainy weather; foggy or misty weather.
Dry
(US) A prohibitionist (of alcoholic beverages).
Wet
A dram; a drink.
Dry
An area with little or no rain, or sheltered from it.
Come under my umbrella and keep in the dry.
Wet
To fill or moisten with water or other liquid; to sprinkle; to cause to have water or other fluid adherent to the surface; to dip or soak in a liquid; as, to wet a sponge; to wet the hands; to wet cloth.
Ye mists and exhalations, that now rise . . . Whether to deck with clouds the uncolored sky,Or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers.
Let us drink the other cup to wet our whistles.
Dry
The dry season.
Wet
Wetness caused by water;
Drops of wet gleamed on the window
Dry
(Australia) An area of waterless country.
Wet
Cause to become wet;
Wet your face
Dry
Unsweetened ginger ale; dry ginger.
Wet
Make one's bed or clothes wet by urinating;
This eight year old boy still wets his bed
Dry
A radical or hard-line Conservative; especially, one who supported the policies of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
Wet
Covered or soaked with a liquid such as water;
A wet bathing suit
Wet sidewalks
Wet paint
Wet weather
Dry
(intransitive) To lose moisture.
The clothes dried on the line.
Wet
Supporting or permitting the legal production and sale of alcoholic beverages;
A wet candidate running on a wet platform
A wet county
Dry
(transitive) To remove moisture from.
Devin dried her eyes with a handkerchief.
Wet
Producing or secreting milk;
A wet nurse
A wet cow
Lactating cows
Dry
To exhaust; to cause to run dry.
Wet
Consisting of or trading in alcoholic liquor;
A wet cargo
A wet canteen
Dry
For an actor to forget his or her lines while performing.
Wet
Very drunk
Dry
Free from moisture; having little humidity or none; arid; not wet or moist; deficient in the natural or normal supply of moisture, as rain or fluid of any kind; - said especially: (a) Of the weather: Free from rain or mist.
The weather, we agreed, was too dry for the season.
Dry
Of vegetable matter: Free from juices or sap; not succulent; not green; as, dry wood or hay.
Give the dry fool drink.
Dry
Destitute of that which interests or amuses; barren; unembellished; jejune; plain.
These epistles will become less dry, more susceptible of ornament.
Dry
Of the eyes: Not shedding tears.
Not a dry eye was to be seen in the assembly.
Dry
Characterized by a quality somewhat severe, grave, or hard; hence, sharp; keen; shrewd; quaint; as, a dry tone or manner; dry wit.
He was rather a dry, shrewd kind of body.
Dry
Of certain morbid conditions, in which there is entire or comparative absence of moisture; as, dry gangrene; dry catarrh.
Dry
Exhibiting a sharp, frigid preciseness of execution, or the want of a delicate contour in form, and of easy transition in coloring.
The scientific man must keep his feelings under stern control, lest they obtrude into his researches, and color the dry light in which alone science desires to see its objects.
Dry
To make dry; to free from water, or from moisture of any kind, and by any means; to exsiccate; as, to dry the eyes; to dry one's tears; the wind dries the earth; to dry a wet cloth; to dry hay.
Their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
The water of the sea, which formerly covered it, was in time exhaled and dried up by the sun.
Their sources of revenue were dried up.
Dry
To grow dry; to become free from wetness, moisture, or juice; as, the road dries rapidly.
Dry
To evaporate wholly; to be exhaled; - said of moisture, or a liquid; - sometimes with up; as, the stream dries, or dries up.
Dry
To shrivel or wither; to lose vitality.
And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
Dry
A reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages
Dry
Remove the moisture from and make dry;
Dry clothes
Dry hair
Dry
Become dry or drier;
The laundry dries in the sun
Dry
Free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet;
Dry land
Dry clothes
A dry climate
Dry splintery boards
A dry river bed
The paint is dry
Dry
Humorously sarcastic or mocking;
Dry humor
An ironic remark often conveys an intended meaning obliquely
An ironic novel
An ironical smile
With a wry Scottish wit
Dry
Opposed to or prohibiting the production and sale of alcoholic beverages;
The dry vote led by preachers and bootleggers
A dry state
Dry
Not producing milk;
A dry cow
Dry
(of wines) not sweet because of decomposition of sugar during fermentation;
A dry white burgundy
Dry
Without a mucous or watery discharge;
A dry cough
That rare thing in the wintertime; a small child with a dry nose
Dry
Not shedding tears;
Dry sobs
With dry eyes
Dry
Lacking interest or stimulation; dull and lifeless;
A dry book
A dry lecture filled with trivial details
Dull and juiceless as only book knowledge can be when it is unrelated to...life
Dry
Used of solid substances in contrast with liquid ones;
Dry weight
Dry
Unproductive especially of the expected results;
A dry run
A mind dry of new ideas
Dry
Having no adornment or coloration;
Dry facts
Rattled off the facts in a dry mechanical manner
Dry
(of food) eaten without a spread or sauce or other garnish;
Dry toast
Dry meat
Dry
Suffering from fluid deprivation;
His mouth was dry
Dry
Having a large proportion of strong liquor;
A very dry martini is almost straight gin
Dry
Lacking warmth or emotional involvement;
A dry greeting
A dry reading of the lines
A dry critique
Dry
Practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages;
He's been dry for ten years
No thank you; I happen to be teetotal
