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View synonyms for humid

humid

[ hyoo-midor, often, yoo- ]

adjective

  1. containing a high amount of water or water vapor; noticeably moist:

    humid air;

    a humid climate.

    Synonyms: wet, dank



humid

/ ˈhjuːmɪd /

adjective

  1. moist; damp

    a humid day

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Derived Forms

  • ˈhumidness, noun
  • ˈhumidly, adverb
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Other Words From

  • humid·ly adverb
  • humid·ness noun
  • sub·humid adjective
  • un·humid adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of humid1

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin (h)ūmidus, equivalent to (h)ūm(ēre) “to be moist” + -idus -id 4
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Word History and Origins

Origin of humid1

C16: from Latin ūmidus, from ūmēre to be wet; see humectant, humour
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Synonym Study

See damp.
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Example Sentences

When a plane passes through cold humid air, the contrails form as the vapour from the engines condenses on unburned fuel fragments in the exhaust stream.

From BBC

The bundle is left to ferment in a warm, humid place for about a day and a half.

From Salon

Back in Taiwan, there are still some kinks to be ironed out – like how to run the Endeavour machine in a hotter and more humid climate than the UK.

From BBC

If the storm moves to our north, it may drag up some humid, tropical air and push our temperatures upwards.

From BBC

Set 120 to win on a slow pitch and in humid conditions in Sharjah, Scotland were stifled by Bangladesh's variety of spin options and could only manage 103-7.

From BBC

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More About Humid

What does humid mean?

Humid is used to describe air that is full of water vapor.

Humid is most commonly applied to weather or the general climate of a place, especially when the temperature is hot.

The noun form of humid is humidity.

Example: Summertime in Florida is almost unbearably humid.

Where does humid come from?

The first records of the word humid come from around 1400. It comes from the Latin (h)ūmidus, from the verb (h)ūm(ēre), meaning “to be moist.”

Humidity does, indeed, boil down to moistness—it’s the moistness of the air around you. There are other words to describe this, like muggy, but humid is the most formal (and common) one. Humid is almost always used to refer to moist air that is also hot—it typically wouldn’t be used to describe air that’s moist and cold (such air is commonly described as damp).

The air in your bathroom could be described as humid after you take a steamy shower, but humid is typically used to describe weather or the general climate of a place.

Meteorologists (weather scientists) measure humidity in a few different ways. You’ve probably heard them use the term relative humidity, which is the ratio of the actual amount of water vapor in the air (at a given temperature) to the maximum amount that the air could hold at that temperature. Relative humidity is expressed as a percentage—the higher the number, the higher the humidity. Tropical rainforests, for example, have a relative humidity of around 80 percent or higher most of the time. Absolute humidity, on the other hand, is the amount of water vapor that is present in a particular volume of air.

People tend to complain about weather that’s hot and humid. There’s a reason it’s uncomfortable. We use sweat to cool off, and humid air prevents evaporation, so when it’s humid out, we can’t cool off as well. This is what people mean when they say, “It’s not the heat—it’s the humidity.”

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What are some other forms related to humid?

  • humidity (noun)
  • humidly (adverb)
  • humidness (noun)
  • subhumid (adjective)
  • unhumid (adjective)
  • nonhumid (adjective)

What are some synonyms for humid?

What are some words that share a root or word element with humid

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing humid?

How is humid used in real life?

Humid is used by both meteorologists and laypeople. Most people find humid weather uncomfortable, and people often complain about it.

 

 

Try using humid!

Is humid used correctly in the following sentence?

The dry, humid air made my skin feel parched.

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