moist

[moist]

adjective

moister, moistest 

1. moderately or slightly wet; damp.

   Synonyms: dank
   Antonyms: dry

2. (of the eyes) tearful.

   Antonyms: dry

3. accompanied by or connected with liquid or moisture.

4. (of the air) having high humidity.

moist

/ mɔɪst /

adjective

1. slightly damp or wet

2. saturated with or suggestive of moisture

Other Word Forms

• moistly adverb
• moistness noun
• moistful adjective
• moistless adjective
• overmoist adjective
• semimoist adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of moist¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English moiste, from Middle French; connected with Latin mūcidus “musty, moldy”; mucid

Word History and Origins

Origin of moist¹

C14: from Old French, ultimately related to Latin mūcidus musty, from mūcus _mucus

Synonym Study

See damp.

Example Sentences

They're caused by a sudden updraft in humid, moist air, which leads to a heavy and localised burst of rain.

From BBC

Western blacklegged ticks thrive in moist, cool environments.

From Los Angeles Times

It consists of two layers of moist sponge cake smothered in custard filling and whipped cream that’s then topped with a glorious spread of saucy strawberries and dollops of extra whipped cream.

From Salon

An area of low pressure is set to develop in France as cool air high in the atmosphere pushes over very warm and moist air near the surface.

From BBC

Running it through his fingers, he showed it to his deputies and they all shook their heads in disappointment — too moist.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• damp 
• humid 
• muggy 
• rainy 
• soggy 
• watery