1 A2 neutral
To become completely dry, losing all or most moisture, often through time or exposure to air or heat.
"Leave the clay sculpture in the sun for a day and it will dry out completely."
separable
dry out
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To become completely dry after being wet or moist, or to help someone stop drinking alcohol.
In plain English
To get completely dry inside and out, or to stop drinking alcohol by getting help.
What does "dry out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To cause something to lose too much moisture, making it unpleasantly dry or cracked.
"Washing your hands too often can dry out the skin on your knuckles."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
To stop drinking alcohol, usually by undergoing treatment or rehabilitation.
"He checked into a clinic to dry out after years of heavy drinking."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
For moisture to come fully 'out' of something until it is dry — fairly transparent.
Actually means
To get completely dry inside and out, or to stop drinking alcohol by getting help.
Usage tip
Has two main uses: (1) a physical sense about moisture loss, often referring to soil, food, skin, or materials; (2) an informal sense about recovering from alcoholism, often in a medical or rehabilitation context. The second sense is well established in informal and journalistic English.
Words that pair with "dry out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
skin soil bread clothes alcoholic wood
How to conjugate "dry out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dry out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dries out
he/she/it
Past simple
dried out
yesterday
Past participle
dried out
have + pp
-ing form
drying out
continuous
Hear "dry out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dry out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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