moist

Meaning

Adj

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. (historical) 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. (also, obsolete, poetic) Bringing moisture or rain.

Noun

Moistness; also, moisture.

Verb

1. (US, regional, transitive) To make (something) moist or wet; to moisten.
2. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To inspire, to refresh (someone); also, to soften (one's heart).
3. (US, intransitive) To rain lightly; to drizzle.
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To have an effect of moistening or wetting.

Opposite of

unmoist, wet, dehydrate, desiccate, dry, exiccate, exsiccate, parch

Synonyms

damp

wet

humid

dank

soggy

clammy

watery

soaked

muggy

soft

dampish

madid

smooth

sticky

become wet

swampy

be damp

dewy

dampen

jammy

juice

lachrymose

limy

liquid

moisten

moistened

moistening

moisture

moisty

molten

pool

rain

🌧️

rainy

raw

ropy

saturated

shining

sleek

soak

sweaty

tacky

tearful

tenacious

undried

viscid

viscous

watered

weeping

wetted

adhesive

Translations

humide

feucht

húmedo

umido

vochtig

υγρός

húmido

bagnato

moite

úmido

mouillé

nass

mojado

nattig

humit

Pronounced as (IPA)

/mɔɪst/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: moist

Cognate with French: moite

Inherited from Middle English: moisten

Cognate with French: moitir

In summary

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.