moist

Meaning

1. Characterized by the presence of moisture; not dry; slightly wet; damp.
2. Of eyes: wet with tears; tearful; also (obsolete), watery due to some illness or to old age.
3. Of a climate, the weather, etc.: damp, humid, rainy.
4. (informal) Of the vagina: sexually lubricated due to sexual arousal; of a woman: sexually aroused, turned on.
5. Characterized by the presence of some fluid such as mucus, pus, etc.
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.
8. (obsolete) Fluid, liquid, watery.
9. (obsolete) Bringing moisture or rain.

damp

wet

dampish

become wet

be damp

become moist

be soft

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/mɔɪst/

The adjective is derived from Middle English moist, moiste (“damp, humid, moist, wet; well-irrigated, well-watered; made up of water or other fluids, fluid; of ale: fresh; (figuratively) carnal, lascivious; undisciplined, weak; (alchemy, medicine, physics) dominated by water as an element”) [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.