wet

[ wet ]

adjective

, wet·ter, wet·test.

1. moistened, covered, or soaked with water or some other liquid:

   wet hands.

   Antonyms: dry

2. in a liquid form or state:

   wet paint.

3. characterized by the presence or use of water or other liquid.
4. moistened or dampened with rain; rainy:

   Wet streets make driving hazardous.

   Synonyms: misty

5. allowing or favoring the sale of alcoholic beverages:

   a wet town.

6. characterized by frequent rain, mist, etc.:

   the wet season.

7. laden with a comparatively high percent of moisture or vapor, especially water vapor:

   There was a wet breeze from the west.

   Synonyms: humid

8. Informal.
   1. intoxicated.
   2. marked by drinking:

      a wet night.

9. using water or done under or in water, as certain chemical, mining, and manufacturing processes.

noun

1. something that is or makes wet, as water or other liquid; moisture:

   The wet from the earth had made the basement unlivable.

   Synonyms: humidity

2. damp weather; rain:

   Stay out of the wet as much as possible.

   Synonyms: drizzle

3. a person in favor of allowing the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages.
4. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. wetback.

verb (used with object)

, wet or wet·ted, wet·ting.

1. to make (something) wet, as by moistening or soaking (sometimes followed by through or down ):

   Wet your hands before soaping them.

2. to urinate on or in:

   The dog had wet the carpet.

verb (used without object)

, wet or wet·ted, wet·ting.

1. to become wet (sometimes followed by through or down ):

   Dampness may cause plastered walls to wet. My jacket has wet through.

2. (of animals and children) to urinate.

wet

/ wɛt /

adjective

1. moistened, covered, saturated, etc, with water or some other liquid
2. not yet dry or solid

   wet varnish

3. rainy, foggy, misty, or humid

   wet weather

4. employing a liquid, usually water

   a wet method of chemical analysis

5. characterized by or permitting the free sale of alcoholic beverages

   a wet state

6. informal.
   feeble or foolish
7. wet behind the ears informal.
   immature or inexperienced; naive

noun

1. wetness or moisture
2. damp or rainy weather
3. informal.
   a Conservative politician who is considered not to be a hard-liner Compare dry
4. informal.
   a feeble or foolish person
5. a person who advocates free sale of alcoholic beverages
6. the wet
   (in northern and central Australia) the rainy season

verb

1. to make or become wet
2. to urinate on (something)
3. dialect.
   tr to prepare (tea) by boiling or infusing
4. wet one's whistle informal.
   to take an alcoholic drink

Derived Forms

• ˌwettaˈbility, noun
• ˈwettish, adjective
• ˈwetly, adverb
• ˈwettable, adjective
• ˈwetter, noun
• ˈwetness, noun

Other Words From

• wetly adverb
• wetness noun
• wetter noun
• wettish adjective
• non·wetted adjective
• re·wet verb rewet or rewetted rewetting
• un·wet adjective
• un·wetted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wet¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wett, past participle of weten, Old English wǣtan “to wet”; replacing Middle English weet, Old English wǣt, cognate with Old Frisian wēt, Old Norse vātr; akin to water

Word History and Origins

Origin of wet¹

Old English wǣt; related to Old Frisian wēt, Old Norse vātr, Old Slavonic vedro bucket

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. all wet, Informal. completely mistaken; in error:

   He insisted that our assumptions were all wet.

2. wet behind the ears, immature; naive; green:

   She was too wet behind the ears to bear such responsibilities.

3. wet out, to treat (fabric) with a wetting agent to increase its absorbency.
4. wet one's whistle. whistle ( def 15 ).

More idioms and phrases containing wet

• all wet
• get one's feet wet
• like (wet as) a drowned rat
• mad as a hornet (wet hen)

Synonym Study

Wet, drench, saturate, soak imply moistening something. To wet is to moisten in any manner with water or other liquid: to wet or dampen a cloth. Drench suggests wetting completely as by a downpour: A heavy rain drenched the fields. Saturate implies wetting to the limit of absorption: to saturate a sponge. To soak is to keep in a liquid for a time: to soak beans before baking.

Example Sentences

Hurricanes bring flooding, which is especially bad for peaches — peach trees don't like to be too wet and can prematurely drop fruit if under water.

From Salon

That phenomenon was particularly relevant this fall, which saw a hot late summer following two wet years and extreme growth.

From Los Angeles Times

State water managers say the tunnel would enable California to capture more water during wet periods.

From Los Angeles Times

The past two winters have been uncommonly wet in California, and while it’s unclear how this season will turn out, this first storm is certainly kicking it off to an impressive start.

From Los Angeles Times

“This is welcome to a certain extent, it moves us away from fire risk by wetting down ecosystems,” said Michael Loik, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Santa Cruz.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dank
• foggy
• humid
• misty
• muggy
• rainy
• slippery
• snowy
• soaked
• sodden
• soggy
• stormy