dry
In its primary sense, the word describes a physical state of dehydration or the absence of water, often associated with aridity or sterility. This physical quality extends to the sensory experience of textures that lack lubrication or smoothness.
When applied to personality or speech, the term shifts toward a psychological description of restraint. It characterizes a specific type of irony where the humor is delivered without obvious emotional cues, relying on the listener to perceive the gap between the literal words and the intended meaning.
💬Casual Conversation
Did David actually send those notes or was he just being dry again?
Did David actually send those notes or was he just being dry again?
Total radio silence. He's just messing with me.
Total radio silence. He's just messing with me.
Meanings
Examples
The desert air is incredibly dry.
Collocations & Compounds
dry skin
skin lacking moisture
She uses lotion to treat her dry skin.
dry humor
understated irony
His dry humor often goes unnoticed by strangers.
bone dry
completely devoid of moisture
The creek bed was bone dry during the drought.
dry heat
heat without humidity
I prefer the dry heat of Arizona over the humidity of Florida.
dry run
a rehearsal
We did a dry run of the presentation before the meeting.
Phrasal Verbs
dry up
to disappear or stop flowing
The small stream dried up during the summer.
dry out
to become completely dry
The wood needs to dry out before we can paint it.