Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Thoroughly dried out; completely lacking moisture: Describes something that has lost all or nearly all of its water content, often through natural processes or intentional drying.
   • Old and desiccated due to age or exposure: Implies a state of being dry, brittle, or withered, often as a result of being dried over a long period.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The riverbed was completely dried-out after months of drought.
  • We found some dried-out leaves in the attic.
  • The artist used dried-out clay that was difficult to mold.

Advanced Usage

• "dried-out" as a descriptor for condition: Often used to emphasize a state of excessive dryness that affects functionality or quality.
  • The mechanic said the engine seals were dried-out and needed replacement.
• Figurative use for lack of inspiration or vitality: While less common, it can describe ideas or creativity that are exhausted.
  • The writer complained of a dried-out imagination after finishing the long series.

Variants and Related Words

• Dry (verb/adjective): The base form. To become dry or free from moisture.
• Desiccated (adjective): Dried thoroughly and often used in more formal or scientific contexts (e.g., desiccated coconut).
• Dehydrated (adjective): Having lost a large amount of water from the body or a substance; often used for food or biological states.
• Arid (adjective): (Of land or climate) having little or no rain; too dry to support much vegetation. Describes an environment, not an object's state.

Synonyms

• Parched: Dried out with heat; extremely thirsty.
• Withered: (Of a plant) dry and shriveled.
• Sere: (Literary) dry or withered.

Antonyms

• Moist: Slightly wet.
• Damp: Slightly wet, often unpleasantly so.
• Hydrated: Combined with water; having sufficient water.

Notes on Usage

• Hyphenation: The term is typically hyphenated when used as an adjective before a noun (e.g., ) but can sometimes be written as two words after a verb (e.g., ). The phrasal verb form is "dry out."
• Context: Most commonly used for physical objects (plants, food, materials) and landscapes. It carries a connotation of being overly dry, often to the point of damage or being unusable.

Adjective

1. thoroughly dried out
   • old boxes of desiccated Cuban cigars
   • dried-out boards beginning to split