Standard Lemma guide

moisten

verb · 4 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈmɔɪsən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔɪsən
  • CMU ARPABET: M OY1 S AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make moist or moister.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • She put on some lip balm to moisten her lips.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To become moist or moister.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • His eyes began to moisten as he held back tears.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

make moist

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The dew moistened the meadows

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wash, dampen

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wet

Narrower terms: humidify, moisturize, moisturise, baste

4

verb

Meaning 4

moisten with fine drops

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • drizzle the meat with melted butter

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: drizzle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sprinkle, splash, splosh

History

Etymology

From moist + -en.

Across languages

Translations

66 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: թրջել (tʻrǰel) — to make moist
  • Bulgarian: навлажнявам (navlažnjavam) — to make moist
  • Catalan: humectar — to make moist
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使湿润 — to make moist
  • Czech: navlhčit — to make moist
  • Egyptian: E9-w-H-mw-nw-A24 (jwḥ) — to make moist
  • Esperanto: malsekigi — to make moist
  • Finnish: kostuttaa — to make moist
  • French: humidifier — to make moist
  • French: humecter — to make moist
  • Old French: amoistir — to make moist
  • Galician: mollar — to make moist
  • Galician: humedecer — to make moist
  • German: anfeuchten — to make moist
  • German: befeuchten — to make moist
  • Ido: arozetar — to make moist
  • Italian: inumidire — to make moist
  • Korean: 적시다 (jeoksida) — to make moist
  • Latin: madefacio — to make moist
  • Latin: lavo — to make moist
  • Latin: imbuō — to make moist
  • Latin: arrōrō — to make moist
  • Māori: takawai — to make moist
  • Māori: whakamākū — to make moist
  • Māori: whakamākūkū — to make moist
  • Middle English: moisten — to make moist
  • Persian: خیسیدن (xīsīdan) — to make moist
  • Portuguese: humedecer — to make moist
  • Portuguese: umedecer — to make moist
  • Portuguese: humidecer — to make moist
  • Portuguese: molhar — to make moist
  • Quechua: ch'aranchay — to make moist
  • Quechua: huq'uchay — to make moist
  • Romanian: uda — to make moist
  • Romanian: umezi — to make moist
  • Romanian: muia — to make moist
  • Russian: увлажня́ть (uvlažnjátʹ) — to make moist
  • Russian: увлажни́ть (uvlažnítʹ) — to make moist
  • Serbo-Croatian: вла̏жити — to make moist
  • Serbo-Croatian: vlažiti — to make moist
  • Slovene: vlážiti — to make moist
  • Spanish: humedecer — to make moist
  • Spanish: mojar — to make moist
  • Spanish: humectar — to make moist
  • Ukrainian: зволо́жувати (zvolóžuvaty) — to make moist
  • Ukrainian: зволо́жити (zvolóžyty) — to make moist
  • Armenian: թրջվել (tʻrǰvel) — to become moist
  • Bulgarian: навлажнявам се (navlažnjavam se) — to become moist
  • Czech: vlhnout — to become moist
  • Czech: zvlhnout — to become moist
  • Finnish: kostua — to become moist
  • French: mouiller — to become moist
  • Galician: mollar — to become moist
  • Galician: humedecer — to become moist
  • German: feucht werden — to become moist
  • Ido: humideskar — to become moist
  • Ingrian: nahistua — to become moist
  • Korean: 젖다 (jeotda) — to become moist
  • Persian: خیساندن (xīsāndan) — to become moist
  • Russian: увлажня́ться (uvlažnjátʹsja) — to become moist
  • Russian: увлажни́ться (uvlažnítʹsja) — to become moist
  • Spanish: humedecerse — to become moist
  • Spanish: mojarse — to become moist
  • Spanish: humectarse — to become moist
  • Ukrainian: зволо́жуватися (zvolóžuvatysja) — to become moist
  • Ukrainian: зволо́житися (zvolóžytysja) — to become moist