1 A2 neutral
To remove surface moisture from a person, animal, or object, typically using a towel or cloth.
"She grabbed a towel and dried off the puppy after its bath."
separable
dry off
A2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To make something or someone dry by removing surface moisture, or to become dry after being wet.
In plain English
To get dry or to make something dry after it has been wet.
What does "dry off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To become dry after being wet, without specifying a method.
"Come inside and dry off — you're soaking wet from the rain."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To remove ('off') moisture so something becomes dry — fully transparent.
Actually means
To get dry or to make something dry after it has been wet.
Usage tip
Used both transitively ('dry off the dog') and intransitively ('let me dry off first'). Very common in everyday spoken English. Often refers to drying the body after swimming or bathing.
Words that pair with "dry off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
towel hair hands dog dishes clothes
How to conjugate "dry off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dry off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dries off
he/she/it
Past simple
dried off
yesterday
Past participle
dried off
have + pp
-ing form
drying off
continuous
Hear "dry off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dry off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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