Basic+ Word of the Day: moist

moist (adjective)

The morning dew makes the flowers moist.

Moist means ‘slightly wet’ or ‘damp.’

• The moist air in the tropics makes my hair curly.
• Clean the table with a moist sponge.
• If you want the cake to be moist, don't overcook it.

When referring to eyes, moist means ‘tearful.’

• When Elsa told the story about her dead grandfather, her eyes grew moist.

Did you know?

Did you know that 10% — 20% of people don’t like the word moist? Here’s an explanation:

Related words

moisturizer: a cosmetic cream, usually applied to the face, to keep your skin moist. Example: “Make sure to use a moisturizer with sunscreen.”

In pop culture

Here is a clip from the US comedy series The Golden Girls where overusing the word “moist” is actually funny:

There are other meanings of moist.