wet 1 of 3

adjective

ˈwet How to pronounce wet (audio)
Definition of wetnext
1
as in dripping
containing, covered with, or thoroughly penetrated by water I left the car windows open while it rained, and the seats got all wet

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2
as in rainy
marked by or abounding with rain a wet and dreary day

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3
as in drunk
being under the influence of alcohol designated a driver so the others could get wet and make it home safely at the end of the night

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4
as in sticky
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way things get more than a little wet during the opera's big death scene

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5
as in weak
British lacking strength of will or character employees of the company despised their boss as a wet and ineffectual bloke

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wet

2 of 3

noun

as in rain
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity winced as he walked out into the wet without any protection

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wet

3 of 3

verb

as in to wash
to make wet you need to wet your hair thoroughly first

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word wet distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of wet are damp, dank, humid, and moist. While all these words mean "covered or more or less soaked with liquid," wet usually implies saturation but may suggest a covering of a surface with water or something (such as paint) not yet dry.

slipped on the wet pavement

When is it sensible to use damp instead of wet?

The meanings of damp and wet largely overlap; however, damp implies a slight or moderate absorption and often connotes an unpleasant degree of moisture.

clothes will mildew if stored in a damp place

When can dank be used instead of wet?

While the synonyms dank and wet are close in meaning, dank implies a more distinctly disagreeable or unwholesome dampness.

a prisoner in a cold, dank cell

Where would humid be a reasonable alternative to wet?

In some situations, the words humid and wet are roughly equivalent. However, humid applies to the presence of much water vapor in the air.

a hot, humid climate

In what contexts can moist take the place of wet?

The words moist and wet are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, moist applies to what is slightly damp or not felt as dry.

treat the injury with moist heat

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wet
Adjective
Stay away from water, wet items, and metal objects. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2025 The cyclist momentarily lost control of his motorcycle on wet pavement. —Jon Rabiroff, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Noun
Unfortunately, in the case of going to bed with wet (or even damp) hair, the downsides might outweigh the benefits. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2024 The j series adds a camera for obstacle avoidance, and higher-end models in that line like the Combo j9+ ($1,199.99) have a retractable mop to clean hardwood floors and carpeting in a single run without getting the latter wet. —PCMAG, 8 Aug. 2024
Verb
Play at the lake, wet a line, wander through the woods or relax with your binoculars. —Dalia Faheid, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 June 2025 Gently wet their head, paws, belly and ears with cool (not cold) water. —Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for wet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wet
  1. rainy
  2. drunk
  3. sticky
  4. weak
  5. rain
  6. wash
  7. saturated
  8. drunken
Adjective
  • Special agents alongside local law enforcement spent their rainy Wednesday going to businesses all over South Florida, including gas stations, grocery stores and retail stores.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 23 July 2025
  • European cities are much more similar in road conditions than their U.S. peers where sunny Phoenix, Arizona, with its wide streets, is far easier for self-driving cars to master than the narrow cross-streets of cold and rainy New York City.
    — Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 22 July 2025
Definition of rainy
Adjective
  • For years across social media, fans have been convinced that the cast of Mamma Mia! were drunk on set due to ouzo, a Greek aperitif.
    — Francesca Gariano, People.com, 19 July 2025
  • The crash occurred about 2½ years after Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III drove drunk at speeds up to 156 mph on a Las Vegas street and caused a fiery collision that killed a woman and her dog on Nov. 2, 2021.
    — Cristian Santana, NBC news, 17 July 2025
Definition of drunk
Adjective
  • But just as she’s dragged back into the spotlight, her body begins to stage a quiet, sticky rebellion into a raw, absurd, and disturbingly relatable reckoning with art, womanhood, and the sheer chaos of being human.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 July 2025
  • Mercedes has this just about right, even with optional 22-inch AMG wheels shod with sticky high-performance Pirellis, as my test car was.
    — Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Definition of sticky
Adjective
  • Witness the rally in the railroads last week that crushed shorts banking on weaker transport earnings.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 21 July 2025
  • This weak cash generation capability raises questions about the company’s ability to fund growth investments and return capital to shareholders.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Definition of weak
Noun
  • The city experienced over two inches of rain last night — its second-wettest single hour in recorded history.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 15 July 2025
  • Beginning on Sunday, July 6th, Tropical Storm Chantal dumped ten inches of rain across sections of central North Carolina.
    — Jessica Pishko, New Yorker, 15 July 2025
Definition of rain
Verb
  • The water piped into homes is often used for washing clothes, bathing and watering gardens.
    — Jake Goodrick July 25, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2025
  • Regular gravel grinding means regularly washing your bike and lubricating the chain.
    — Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 25 July 2025
Definition of wash
Adjective
  • While this rainfall is not expected to be as extreme as last weekend, the threshold for flash flooding to develop is lower due to the ground being very saturated from recent heavy rain in the region.
    — Dan Peck, ABC News, 12 July 2025
  • The saturated ground means even minimal rainfall can trigger further flooding, complicating rescue efforts.
    — Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
Definition of saturated
Adjective
  • The crash happened at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday after authorities received a report of a possible drunken driver at a gas station on Lakeville Highway, according to the Santa Rosa and Petaluma police departments.
    — Gary Klien, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
  • Officers responding to reports of a possible drunken driver at a Petaluma gas station found the black Kia Sol about three minutes before the crash on a nearby road and tried to pull it over, police said.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2025
Definition of drunken

Phrases Containing wet

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westerly
wet
wet behind the ears
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Cite this Entry

“Wet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wet. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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