What does "moist" mean?
Moistness; also, moisture.
Moist
/mɔɪst/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Moistness; also, moisture.
- Grammar: moist is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: damp, amphibian skin, amphibianlike, atmospheric moisture.
- Useful contrasts: anhydrous mineral, arid, arid ground.
- Usage evidence: The air is soft, the soil moist.
How to use "moist"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "moist" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "moist" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "moist" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "moist" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "moist" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "damp" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "moist", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Moistness; also, moisture. regional, uncountable
"[T]hey launch'd the ship, the mast it bore Advanc'd, sails hoised, every seat his oar Gave with a leather thong. The deep moist then They further reach'd."
- 2 A follower of the religion of Moism.
Verb
- 1 To make (something) moist or wet; to moisten. US, regional, transitive
"He calleth for a ſponge (ſaith Theodoritus) and therevvith moiſteth and vvaſsheth Simeones mouthe, and then geueth him the holy Sacrament."
- 2 To inspire, to refresh (someone); also, to soften (one's heart). figuratively, obsolete, transitive
- 3 To rain lightly; to drizzle. US, intransitive
- 4 To have an effect of moistening or wetting. intransitive, obsolete
"Auyſing the bright bemes of theſe fayer Iyes where he is that myn oft moiſteth & waſſheth"
Adjective
- 1 Characterized by the presence of moisture; not dry; slightly wet; damp.
"Will theſe moyſt Trees, That haue out-liu'd the Eagle, page thy heeles And skip when thou point'ſt out?"
- 2 Of eyes: wet with tears; tearful; also (obsolete), watery due to some illness or to old age.
"[H]aue you not a moiſt eie, a dry hand, a yelow cheeke, a white beard, a decreaſing leg, an increaſing belly? […] and will you yet call your ſelfe yong? fie, fie, fie, ſir Iohn."
- 3 Of a climate, the weather, etc.: damp, humid, rainy.
"Ye Swains, invoke the Pow'rs who rule the Sky, For a moiſt Summer, and a Winter dry: For Winter drout rewards the Peaſant's Pain, And broods indulgent on the bury'd Grain."
- 4 Of the vagina: sexually lubricated due to sexual arousal; of a woman: sexually aroused, turned on. informal
"He slid a finger in me, checking to make sure I was moist and ready for him."
- 5 Characterized by the presence of some fluid such as mucus, pus, etc.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Of sounds of internal organs (especially as heard through a stethoscope): characterized by the sound of air bubbling through a fluid.
- 7 Pertaining to one of the four essential qualities formerly believed to be present in all things, characterized by wetness; also, having a significant amount of this quality. historical
"[T]he moiſt ſtarre, Vpon whoſe influence Neptunes Empier ſtands, Was ſicke almoſt to doomeſday with eclipſe, […]"
- 8 Fluid, liquid, watery. obsolete
"O pardon me, my liege, but for my teares, The moiſt impediments vnto my ſpeech, I had foreſtald this deere and deep rebuke, […]"
- 9 Bringing moisture or rain. also, obsolete, poetic
"And the moiſt daughters of huge Atlas ſtroue Into the Ocean deepe to driue their weary droue."
Adjective
- 1 slightly wet wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The air is soft, the soil moist."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "moist"?
Common synonyms include: damp, amphibian skin, amphibianlike, atmospheric moisture, boggy, clammier.
How do you use "moist" in a sentence?
The air is soft, the soil moist.
How do you pronounce "moist"?
Pronounced /mɔɪst/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The adjective is derived from Middle English moist, moiste [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman moist, moiste, moste, Middle French moiste, and Old French moiste, muste (“damp, moist, wet”) (modern French moite); further etymology uncertain, perhaps a blend of a Late Latin variant of Latin mūcidus (“mouldy, musty”) + a Late Latin derivative of Latin mustum (“unfermented or partially fermented grape juice or wine, must”). The noun is derived from the adjective.
Etymology 2
From Middle English moisten, moist, moiste (“to make moist or wet; to soak in liquid; to become moist or wet; to provide with moisture or water; to satisfy thirst with liquor or water, slake”) [and other forms], and then either: * from Anglo-Norman muster (“to make moist or wet”), Middle French moistir, and Old French moistir (“to make moist or wet; to become moist or wet”) (compare enmoistir; modern French moitir), from Old French moiste, muste (“damp, moist, wet”) (see etymology 1) + -ir (suffix forming infinitives of second conjugation verbs); or * from Middle English moist, moiste (adjective) (see etymology 1), though the adjective is first attested later.