Synonyms for dry

modified

1. Having little or no moisture

   arid, parched, waterless, dried up, evaporated, desiccated, juiceless, barren, dehydrated, anhydrous, drained, rainless, not irrigated, droughty, bare, thirsty, waterproof, rainproof, baked, hard, shriveled, desiccant, desert, dusty, sapless, unmoistened, sere, depleted, dry as dust, bone-dry*; see also sterile 2.

   Antonyms wet*, moist, damp.

2. Thirsty

   parched, dehydrated, athirst; see thirsty.

3. Lacking in interest

   boring, uninteresting, tedious, flat; see dull 4.

4. Possessed of intellectual humor

   satirical, subtle, sarcastic, cynical, sly, salty, ironic, wry, droll, humorous, restrained, sardonic, biting; see also funny 1, witty.

   Antonyms raucous*, crude, slapstick.

5. Having restrictions on alcoholic liquors

   prohibitionist, prohibited, temperate, abstinent, abstemious, sober, restricted, having local option, bone-dry*, arid*, straight*, teetotal*.

dry suggests a lack or insufficiency of moisture, in either a favorable or unfavorable sense, and hence figuratively connotes a lack of life or spirit a dry climate, a dry river bed, a dry lecture; arid implies an abnormal, intense dryness, esp. with reference to a region or climate, and strongly implies barrenness or lifelessness an arid waste, arid prose

not dry behind the ears*

verb

1. To become dry

   lose moisture, dehydrate, evaporate, dry up, dry out, shrivel, wither, wilt, undergo evaporation; see also evaporate 1, wither.

2. To cause to become dry

   wipe, drain, air-dry, dehydrate, freeze-dry, blot, sponge, towel, desiccate, exsiccate, parch, scorch, condense, concentrate, exhaust, torrefy; see also drain 1, empty 2.