1
: slightly or moderately wet : damp
I love cookies when they are moist and chewy.
2
: tearful
the eyes of both of us … were moist with the joy of successJack London
3
: characterized by high humidity
Fog is formed when warm moist air moves over a cold surface.
moistly adverb
moistness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for moist

wet, damp, dank, moist, humid 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

damp implies a slight or moderate absorption and often connotes an unpleasant degree of moisture.

clothes will mildew if stored in a damp place

dank implies a more distinctly disagreeable or unwholesome dampness.

a prisoner in a cold, dank cell

moist applies to what is slightly damp or not felt as dry.

treat the injury with moist heat

humid applies to the presence of much water vapor in the air.

a hot, humid climate

Examples of moist in a Sentence

I love cookies when they are moist and chewy. The pork chops were tender and moist. a moist and spongy chocolate cake The plant grows best in direct sunlight and with rich, moist soil. She dabbed her moist eyes with a handkerchief. Fog is formed when warm moist air moves over a cold surface. The eggs will hatch sooner in warm, moist conditions.
Recent Examples on the Web That marked the northern edge of warm, moist air wafting north out of the Gulf of Mexico which acted as an effective warm front, imparting low-level helicity, or twist, that storms used to produce tornadoes. Scott Dance, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Located in shaded areas with moist soil in early summer, wild violet tastes best when the plant features five petals in a butterfly shape. Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 By Beth Dooley, Star Tribune (TNS) Dense, moist and homey, carrot cake is the quintessential American classic. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 This easy, wonderfully moist pound cake is sure to be a hit at Easter. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024 The worst part about healing from the CO2 laser was having to keep my skin moist and constantly having Aquaphor all over my face and my hands. Meirav Devash, Allure, 29 Feb. 2024 Its body looks moist, and its eyes look almost black. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024 Afterward, water minimally and only when the soil is somewhere between barely moist and bone dry. Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 16 Feb. 2024 For the uninitiated, the batter is supremely moist, thanks to banana and pineapple, and warmly spiced with cloves and cinnamon. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English moiste, from Anglo-French, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *muscidus, alteration of Latin mucidus slimy, from mucus nasal mucus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of moist was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near moist

Cite this Entry

“Moist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moist. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

moist

adjective
1
: slightly or moderately wet
moist earth
2
: characterized by high humidity
moistly adverb
moistness noun

Medical Definition

moist

adjective
1
: slightly or moderately wet
2
a
: marked by a discharge or exudation of liquid
moist eczema
b
: suggestive of the presence of liquid
used of sounds heard in auscultation
moist rales

More from Merriam-Webster on moist

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