adj · name · noun · verb · 17 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American, Received-Pronunciation:/mɔɪst/
Received-Pronunciation:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɔɪst
CMU ARPABET:M OY1 S T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Characterized by the presence of moisture; not dry; slightly wet; damp.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Of the vagina: sexually lubricated due to sexual arousal; of a woman: sexually aroused, turned on.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: wet
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Characterized by the presence of some fluid such as mucus, pus, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adj
Meaning 6
Of sounds of internal organs (especially as heard through a stethoscope): characterized by the sound of air bubbling through a fluid.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adj
Meaning 7
Pertaining to one of the four essential qualities formerly believed to be present in all things, characterized by wetness; also, having a significant amount of this quality.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
Topics: sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adj
Meaning 8
Fluid, liquid, watery.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
To inspire, to refresh (someone); also, to soften (one's heart).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
verb
Meaning 15
To rain lightly; to drizzle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
16
verb
Meaning 16
To have an effect of moistening or wetting.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
17
adjective satellite
Meaning 17
slightly wet
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
clothes damp with perspiration
a moist breeze
eyes moist with tears
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: damp, dampish
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
The adjective is derived from Middle English moist, moiste [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman moist, moiste, moste, Middle French moiste, and Old French moiste, muste (“damp, moist, wet”) (modern French moite); further etymology uncertain, perhaps a blend of a Late Latin variant of Latin mūcidus (“mouldy, musty”) + a Late Latin derivative of Latin mustum (“unfermented or partially fermented grape juice or wine, must”). The noun is derived from the adjective.
From Middle English moisten, moist, moiste (“to make moist or wet; to soak in liquid; to become moist or wet; to provide with moisture or water; to satisfy thirst with liquor or water, slake”) [and other forms], and then either: * from Anglo-Norman muster (“to make moist or wet”), Middle French moistir, and Old French moistir (“to make moist or wet; to become moist or wet”) (compare enmoistir; modern French moitir), from Old French moiste, muste (“damp, moist, wet”) (see etymology 1) + -ir (suffix forming infinitives of second conjugation verbs); or * from Middle English moist, moiste (adjective) (see etymology 1), though the adjective is first attested later.
Across languages
Translations
85 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
njomë
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Arabic:
رَطِب
(raṭib)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Arabic:
بَلّ
(ball)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Armenian:
թաց
(tʻacʻ)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Belarusian:
вільготны
(vilʹhótny)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Bulgarian:
вла́жен
(vlážen)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Catalan:
humit
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Chamicuro:
sawa
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Chinese Mandarin:
潮濕 /潮湿
(cháoshi)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Chinese Mandarin:
濕潤 /湿润
(shīlùn)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Xiang Chinese:
水垮垮
(xyei3 gua5 gua5)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Czech:
vlhký
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Danish:
fugtig
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Dutch:
vochtig
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Dutch:
nattig
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Esperanto:
malseketa
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Finnish:
kostea
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
French:
humide
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
French:
moite
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Middle French:
moiste
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Old French:
moiste
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Friulian:
umid
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Galician:
lento
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Galician:
húmido
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Georgian:
ნესტიანი
(nesṭiani)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
German:
feucht
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Greek:
νοτισμένος
(notisménos)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Greek:
νοτερός
(noterós)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Greek:
υγρός
(ygrós)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Ancient Greek:
πλαδαρός
(pladarós)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Hebrew:
לַח
(laẖ)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Hindi:
गीला
(gīlā)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Hindi:
आबी
(ābī)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Hindi:
नम
(nam)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Hungarian:
nyirkos
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Iban:
embap
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Icelandic:
rakur
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Icelandic:
tárvotur
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Ido:
humida
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Indonesian:
lembap
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Ingrian:
nepsiä
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Ingrian:
nahkia
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Italian:
umido
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Japanese:
湿った
(shimetta)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Japanese:
しっとり
(shittori)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Korean:
축축한
(chukchukhan)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Northern Kurdish:
şêdar
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Latin:
ūvidus
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Latvian:
mitrs
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Latvian:
mikls
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Latvian:
valgs
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Latvian:
valgans
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Macedonian:
влажен
(vlažen)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Malay:
lembap
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Māori:
kōpūtoitoi
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Māori:
mākūkū
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Māori:
haumākū
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Māori:
monoku
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Māori:
toriwai
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Māori:
hauwai
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Māori:
mākū
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Māori:
tōwahiwahi
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Māori:
tōwāwahi
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Middle English:
moiste
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Norwegian Bokmål:
klam
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Norwegian Bokmål:
fuktig
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Occitan:
umid
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Persian:
نمناک
(namnâk)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Plautdietsch:
feicht
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Polish:
wilgotny
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Portuguese:
úmido
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Portuguese:
húmido
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Romanian:
umed
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Russian:
вла́жный
(vlážnyj)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Slovak:
vlhký
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Slovene:
vlážen
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Swedish:
fuktig
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Thai:
ชุ่มชื้น
(chûm-chʉ́ʉn)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Turkish:
nemli
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Turkish:
rutubetli
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Ottoman Turkish:
صولاق
(sulak)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Ukrainian:
вологий
(volohyj)
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Vietnamese:
ẩm
— characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet
Bulgarian:
влажен
(vlažen)
— of the vagina: sexually lubricated due to sexual arousal
Japanese:
濡れた
(nureta)
— of the vagina: sexually lubricated due to sexual arousal
