dehydrate

verb

de·​hy·​drate (ˌ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrāt 

dehydrated; dehydrating; dehydrates

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove bound water or hydrogen and oxygen from (a chemical compound) in the proportion in which they form water

b

: to remove water from (something, such as a food)

2

: to deprive of vitality or savor

intransitive verb

: to lose water or body fluids

dehydrator

(ˌ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrā-tər 

noun

Did you know?

Dehydrating food is a good way to preserve it; raisins, which are dehydrated grapes, are a good example. Dehydration through industrial processes makes it possible to keep food even longer and store it in a smaller space. Freeze-drying produces food that only needs rehydration—that is, the addition of water—to restore its original consistency. Runners, cyclists, and hikers fearful of dehydration seem to be constantly hydrating themselves nowadays, sometimes even using a shoulder pack with a tube going straight into the mouth. Dehydrate can also be used for making something "dry" or "lifeless;" thus, a dull teacher can dehydrate American history, and an unimaginative staging can dehydrate a great Shakespeare play.

Synonyms

• castrate
• damp
• dampen
• deaden
• desiccate
• devitalize
• enervate
• geld
• lobotomize
• petrify

Examples of dehydrate in a Sentence

Salt dehydrates the meat and keeps it from spoiling.

Athletes drink lots of water so they don't dehydrate.

Exercising in this heat will dehydrate you.

Recent Examples on the Web

Making matters worse is the fact their horses are dehydrated. —Matt Cabral, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2025

Whatever the illness was has had lingering effects; Roberts noted that at one point Betts had lost 15 pounds and was severely dehydrated. —Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025

Alcohol is dehydrating, can negatively impact the immune system, and can be unsafe with cold medications.1 There is no cure for the common cold, but there are better supportive measures than whiskey to help provide relief. —Amelia MacIntyre, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2025

The doctor then examined alcohol's effect on the skin, saying that the substance is inherently dehydrating which can result in puffiness and bloating in the short term. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for dehydrate

• dihydrate
• trihydrate
• monohydrate

Kids Definition

dehydrate

verb

de·​hy·​drate (ˈ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrāt 

1

: to remove water from (as foods)

2

: to lose water or body fluids

dehydration

ˌdē-ˌhī-ˈdrā-shən

noun

Medical Definition

dehydrate

verb

de·​hy·​drate (ˈ)dē-ˈhī-ˌdrāt 

dehydrated; dehydrating

transitive verb

1

: to remove bound water or hydrogen and oxygen from (a chemical compound) in the proportion in which they form water

2

: to remove water from (as foods)

intransitive verb

: to lose water or body fluids

dehydrator

-ˌdrāt-ər 

noun