dewy

adjective

ˈdü-ē

also ˈdyü-

dewier; dewiest

Synonyms of dewy next

: moist with, affected by, or suggestive of dew

dewy grass

A fresh, faintly dewy complexion radiates health and beauty.—

Essence

: innocent, unsophisticated

from a dewy bride to an ill-mannered, murderous courtesan—

Melvin Gussow

dewily

ˈdü-ə-lē

ˈdyü-

adverb

dewiness

ˈdü-ē-nəs

ˈdyü-

noun

Did you know?

"And her faire deawy eies with kisses deare Shee ofte did bathe" (Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene). "I would these dewy teares were from the ground" (William Shakespeare, Richard III). "Till dewie sleep Oppress'd them" (John Milton, Paradise Lost). "Strengthen me, enlighten me … Thou dewy dawn of memory" (Alfred Tennyson, "Ode to Memory"). Such lines exemplify how the greats have poetically extended the characteristics of dewy grass to misty or crying eyes, as well as to things, like sleep, that affect people gently like forming dew, or to things, like memory, that gradually vanish like a morning's dew. In recent times, the adjective has often been used to describe the luminous complexions of models and starlets—an extension of the "suggestive of dew" meaning. It was not until the 20th century that people began to connect newly formed, undisturbed dew with freshness or purity and, in turn, with innocence and unsophistication.

Examples of dewy in a Sentence

another version of the story of the dewy small-town youths hoping to make it in the big city

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Back in March, the actor broke down her calming skin care routine and easy date-night makeup look for Vogue’s Beauty Secrets, sharing the go-to products for keeping acne and redness away, and a perfectly dewy makeup base. —

Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2024 For a feminine, but not overpowering flower, this one features roses in a dewy green garden. —

Rose Dommu, Them, 11 Dec. 2024 The finish is slightly dewy and only gets dewier after a few spritzes of this setting spray. —

Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 3 Oct. 2024 But there is also a quiet unease in this dewy new skin. —

Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dewy