moist

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /mɔɪst/ UK /mɔɪst/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
slightly wet; damp

The cake was wonderfully moist and rich.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · slightly wet; damp damp humid dank clammy wet

Opposites

dry arid parched

Word family

Derived forms moisten moistness moisture moistymoistly

Related forms moisture moisten

Simplified etymology

Moist was borrowed into Middle English from French, but the French word’s origin is uncertain. It may derive from a post-classical form of Latin mucidus, “slimy, mouldy, musty,” with influence from Latin musteus, “juicy,” itself from mustus, “fresh.”

Etymology

From Middle English moiste ('damp, fresh'), from Old French moiste ('damp'), probably from Vulgar Latin *muscidus ('moldy, wet'), influenced by Latin mūcidus ('moldy, slimy') and musteus ('fresh, like new wine').

moiste Old French *muscidus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# moist

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /mɔɪst/
**IPA (UK):** /mɔɪst/

## Meanings
1. slightly wet; damp

## Examples
- The cake was wonderfully moist and rich.

## Synonyms
- damp
- humid
- dank
- clammy
- wet

## Antonyms
- dry
- arid
- parched

## Derived Forms
- moisten
- moistness
- moisture
- moisty
- moistly

## Related Forms
- moisture
- moisten

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: moiste
- Root: *muscidus

## Etymology
From Middle English moiste ('damp, fresh'), from Old French moiste ('damp'), probably from Vulgar Latin *muscidus ('moldy, wet'), influenced by Latin mūcidus ('moldy, slimy') and musteus ('fresh, like new wine').

## AI Etymology
Moist comes from Middle English moiste ('damp, fresh'), from Old French moiste ('damp'), probably from Vulgar Latin *muscidus ('moldy, wet'), influenced by Latin mūcidus ('moldy, slimy') and musteus ('fresh, like new wine'). The historical trail runs through Old French moiste and Latin *muscidus. In modern use it means slightly wet; damp. Derived formations include moisten, moistness, moisture, moisty, moistly; related forms include moisture, moisten.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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