Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dry up

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.73 in modern English

Syllables: dry up
IPA

11

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To become dry (often of weather); to lose water.

Intransitive verb

verb

To cause to become dry.

Transitive verb

verb

To manually dry dishes and utensils.

Intransitive verb

verb

To deprive someone of (something vital).

Transitive verb

verb

To gradually decrease and eventually cease.

Intransitive verb

verb

To stop talking because one has forgotten what one was going to say.

Intransitive verb

verb

To stop talking because one has forgotten what one was going to say.

Intransitive verb

verb

To stop talking or drop a topic.

Example Sentences

"I'll go shopping when it dries up."
"Last summer the lake completely dried up."
"But those newcomers need water — water that is vanishing as a megadrought dries up reservoirs and rivers across the West. […] Groundwater and streams vital both to farmers and cities are drying up. […] Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah said all but one of the fields on his family’s farm had dried up."
"The heatwave dried up all the rivers."
"I'll dry up if you wash up."
"The bankruptcy rumor dried up his sales."

Usage

Inflected Forms

dries up (present, singular) drying up (participle, present) dried up (participle, past) dried up (past)

Phrases

dry up and blow away

Frequently Paired Words

dry out wipe out ruin tank shut up freeze up

Synonyms

desiccate dehydrate dry wipe up wither away shut up clam up exsiccate

Questions

What does dry up mean?: To become dry (often of weather); to lose water.

How to pronounce dry up

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dry up”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “dry up”.
Repeat and practice — Say “dry up” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.