From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwetwet1 /wet/ ●●● S2 W3 adjective (comparative wetter, superlative wettest) 1 water/liquidWET covered in or full of water or another liquid OPP dry I’ve washed your shirt but it’s still wet. wet grassget (something) wet Take an umbrella or you’ll get wet.wet with His face was wet with sweat. The man in the boat was wet through (=completely wet).soaking/dripping/sopping wet (=very wet) The towel was soaking wet.2 weatherDN rainy There’s more wet weather on the way. It’s very wet outside. the wettest summer on record3 paint/ink etcWET not yet dry The paint’s still wet.4 person British English informal someone who is wet does not have a strong character, or is not willing to do something that you think they should do – used to show disapproval Don’t be so wet! Just tell them you don’t want to go.5 baby if a child or its nappy is wet, the nappy is full of urine 6 → somebody is all wet7 → wet behind the ears —wetly adverb —wetness noun [uncountable]COLLOCATIONSadverbssoaking/sopping/wringing wet (=very wet)His suit was soaking wet.dripping wet (=so wet that water is dripping off)She was dripping wet.wet through (=with every part very wet)It never stopped raining and our clothes were wet through.verbsget wetWe both got very wet when we tried to give the dog a bath.get something wetI didn’t want to get my feet wet.phrasescold and wetI was too cold and wet to keep going.wet and muddyHis boots were wet and muddy. THESAURUSwet covered in water or another liquidI’ve just washed my hair and it’s still wet.You’d better change out of those wet clothes.damp slightly wetWipe the surfaces with a damp cloth.The sheets are still a little damp.The grass was still too damp to sit on.moist slightly wet, especially in a pleasant way – used about soil, food, or about someone’s skin or eyesIt’s important to keep the soil moist.a delicious moist chocolate cakeHer eyes became moist (=she was almost crying).clammy feeling slightly wet, cold, and sticky – used about someone’s skin, especially when they are nervous or illHe had clammy hands.Ruby was feverish and clammy with sweat.soggy unpleasantly wet and soft – used especially about food or the grounda bowl of soggy riceIt had been raining hard and the ground was soggy underfoot.humid/muggy used when the weather is hot but the air feels wet in a way that makes you uncomfortableSummers in Tokyo are hot and humid.a hot muggy daythe humid heat of a tropical forestvery wetsoaked [not before noun] very wet all the way through – used especially about people and their clothesIt absolutely poured with rain and we got soaked.His shirt was soaked with blood.drenched [not before noun] very wet – used about a person or area after a lot of rain or water has fallen on themEveryone got drenched when a huge wave hit the boat.The garden was completely drenched after the rain.saturated extremely wet, and unable to take in any more water or liquidHis bandage was saturated with blood.The floods were the result of heavy rainfall on already saturated soil.waterlogged /ˈwɔːtəlɒɡd $ ˈwɒːtərlɒːɡd, ˈwɑː-, -lɑːɡd/ used about ground that has water on its surface because it is so wet that it cannot take in any moreThe game was cancelled because the field was waterlogged.sodden British English very wet with water – used about clothes and the ground. Sodden is less common than soakedThe ground was still sodden.He took off his sodden shirt.
Examples from the Corpus
wet• Be careful, the floor is still wet.• Don't touch the wall - the paint's still wet.• Hurry up with the umbrella - I'm getting wet!• I can't come out yet - my hair's still wet.• Let's not sit here - the grass is wet.• When he got out of the boat, the sleeves of his sweater were all wet.• The bagels, almost dry, got wet again.• The weather was wet and chilly and this run underlines the standard that White is setting in the club this year.• In places the path can be wet and slippery, so obviously wear your boots.• Money passed through his hands with the slippery insecurity of a wet ball.• You'd better change out of those wet clothes.• Like discs, they do a cleaner job in dry than in wet conditions.• Pushing myself up off the wet ground, I brushed the twigs and earth off my trousers while I checked my pockets.• Freshly wet roads are dangerous because oil and dust mix with the water to make them slippery.• Angry with herself for reacting to him, she peeled off her wet swimsuit and vigorously began to towel her body.• a wet towelget (something) wet• A good lad but as they say, a walk through the ocean of his soul would scarcely get your feet wet.• It was nothing more than getting soaking wet.• Sometimes, it is possible to venture down when the tide is out without getting your feet wet.• You can borrow my car so that you don't get your feet wet.• You have to be willing to go in there and get your feet wet.• Jake got so wet and muddy that I had to put him in the shower twice.• The extra-sensitive child needs to get one toe wet at a time.• Now, why don't you just go upstairs like a good little girl and get out of those wet things?wet weather• Sensible shoes are recommended, especially wellington boots in wet weather.• The unadopted roads become treacherous in wet weather.• Those of us who live in the country know what happens to steep gravel driveways in wet weather.• Heat and wet weather, damp.• Though more commonly associated with wet weather, early morning dews or irrigation may be enough to keep rust multiplying.• In wet weather hand them inside to deter mould.• The wet weather has already caused the abandonment of several fixtures, including today's card at Ludlow.• In summer there is often plenty of wet weather too.wetwet2 ●●○ verb (past tense and past participle wet or wetted, present participle wetting) [transitive] 1 WETto make something wet Wet your hair and apply the shampoo.2 HBHto make yourself, your clothes, or your bed wet because you pass water from your body by accidentwet yourself I nearly wet myself I was so scared. Sam’s wet his bed again.THESAURUSwet to put water or another liquid onto something to make it wet. In spoken English, people will often use get something wet rather than wetHe wet the washcloth and washed Tom’s face.splash to make someone or something wet by making a lot of small drops of water fall onto themThe kids were playing around in the pool, splashing each other.I accidentally splashed soup onto my shirt.soak to put something in water for a long time or to make something very wet – use this especially when something is put into water or the water comes up from underneath to make it wetSoak the beans overnight before cooking.The rain had come in through the bottom of our tent and completely soaked our clothes.drench to make someone or something extremely wet with a large amount of water – use this especially when water is poured or falls on somethingHe drenched us all with the hose.Her shirt was drenched in sweat.saturate formal to completely cover or fill something with liquid, so that it is wet all the way throughHeavy rains had saturated the ground.flood to cover an area of land with a large amount of waterFarmers flood the fields in order to grow rice.moisten to make something slightly wet by putting a small amount of water or another liquid on it, especially to stop it from getting too dryAdd just enough water to moisten the cake mixture.Tom paused and moistened his lips.dampen to make something slightly wet by putting a little water on itRain came in through the window, dampening the curtains. → See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
wet• She wet her index finger and cleaned the spot off the mirror.• The other hairdresser usually wets my hair before she cuts it.• Wetting the toothbrush before you put the toothpaste on makes the bristles softer.wet yourself• Anna's legs were shuddering, once more she felt as if she was about to wet herself.• He hadn't meant to wet himself.• He was pleased to note that this had the desired effect - she no longer wet herself.• I hope I ain't wet myself.• Unfortunately everyone was so scared that one of my mates wet herself and we all burst into tears.• It's real embarrassing to wet yourself. hate wetting myself like a baby.• It's stupid to wet yourself like a baby.• I finished the song and only as I left the stage did I realise I had wet myself with fear.wetwet3 noun 1 → the wet2 [countable] British English a politician who belongs to the conservative party, and who supports very moderate ideas – used to show disapproval Tory wets3 [countable] British English informal someone who does not have a strong character, or is not willing to do something that you think they should do – used to show disapproval Go on! Don’t be such a wet!Examples from the Corpus
wet• If only her guest partner, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, wasn't such a wet.• Bath could not hit their top gear of late as they too slithered around in the wet.Origin wet1 Old English wæt 