1
: slightly or moderately wet : damp
I love cookies when they are moist and chewy.
2
: tearful
the eyes of both of us … were moist with the joy of successJack London
3
: characterized by high humidity
Fog is formed when warm moist air moves over a cold surface.
moistly adverb
moistness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for moist

wet, damp, dank, moist, humid mean covered or more or less soaked with liquid.

wet usually implies saturation but may suggest a covering of a surface with water or something (such as paint) not yet dry.

slipped on the wet pavement

damp implies a slight or moderate absorption and often connotes an unpleasant degree of moisture.

clothes will mildew if stored in a damp place

dank implies a more distinctly disagreeable or unwholesome dampness.

a prisoner in a cold, dank cell

moist applies to what is slightly damp or not felt as dry.

treat the injury with moist heat

humid applies to the presence of much water vapor in the air.

a hot, humid climate

Examples of moist in a Sentence

I love cookies when they are moist and chewy. The pork chops were tender and moist. a moist and spongy chocolate cake The plant grows best in direct sunlight and with rich, moist soil. She dabbed her moist eyes with a handkerchief. Fog is formed when warm moist air moves over a cold surface. The eggs will hatch sooner in warm, moist conditions.
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.
Clethra can be planted in consistently moist soil in Zones 3 to 9. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 May 2025 Put together a basic emergency kit, with water and shelf stable foods for up to a week, flash lights, back up batteries, a first aid kit and moist towelettes. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 27 May 2025 Today’s vintage file applesauce cake is from the 1930s, and the measurements are precise and perfect for a moist and delicious easy snack cake in homage to all of our features department journalists from yesteryear. Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025 May gray is fueled by onshore breezes that push the layer of cool moist air that hangs above the Pacific Ocean further inland, creating persistent cloud cover. Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for moist

Word History

Etymology

Middle English moiste, from Anglo-French, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *muscidus, alteration of Latin mucidus slimy, from mucus nasal mucus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of moist was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Moist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moist. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

moist

adjective
1
: slightly or moderately wet
moist earth
2
: characterized by high humidity
moistly adverb
moistness noun

Medical Definition

moist

adjective
1
: slightly or moderately wet
2
a
: marked by a discharge or exudation of liquid
moist eczema
b
: suggestive of the presence of liquid
used of sounds heard in auscultation
moist rales

More from Merriam-Webster on moist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!