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Glite Dictionary
drying up

drying up

1 3.2
A process in which water leaves something until it is no longer wet
  • noun
translation icon : desecación
  • The drying up of the lake has caused severe water shortages for the nearby towns.

Examples

  • You know, on average, money's gone, is drying up around the planet.

  • And I've realized the media was drying up, not unlike what's happened in the last few years.

  • With Wework's high cash burn rate and with VC money drying up, the company was going to have to go public soon.

  • Now that these subsidies are drying up, especially the ones from local governments who can no longer afford them, there is consider lower demand for new cars.

  • The report further stated: "The drying up of the San Luis Rey River within the past few years has removed valuable sources of water... and operations of any magnitude are precluded due to lack of water supply."

    Academic text (2000)

  • Scientists are studying the drying up of wetlands to understand its impact on local wildlife.

  • The report warned about the drying up of major rivers, which could threaten agriculture in the region.

Synonyms

drainage
vsdrying up
43 3.5

Removing liquid so it flows away from a place or object

is moisture extraction focused on absorbing or evaporating rather than flow
evaporation
vsdrying up
  • Specialized
15 3.2

A liquid that turns into a gas when heated or left in open air

is general moisture removal not limited to that physical change
dehydration
vsdrying up
3 3.4

Removing water from food or other things to make them dry

is the general process of removing moisture not emphasizing bodily effects
desiccation
vsdrying up
  • Specialized
2 8.6

A process that removes water from something so it becomes very dry

is general moisture removal rather than causing extreme dryness
dehumidification
vsdrying up
  • Specialized
6.0

To remove water from air or a room to keep it dry

is broader moisture removal across substances or environments

Antonyms

moistening
1 2.3

A small act of making something slightly wet before use

How Dry

desiccation
  • Specialized
2 8.6
drying up
1 3.2
evaporation
  • Specialized
15 3.2

Surface Forms

drying up singular
drying ups plural

Morphology

dry + up

The noun 'drying up' meaning a process in which something becomes dry or water is removed is directly derivable from 'dry' (to remove moisture) combined with the particle 'up' indicating completion or result. This resultative/compositional pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

The noun drying up comes from the simple picture of wet things losing water: drying is the action that makes something dry and up shows the water going away into the air, like clothes on a line in the sun and wind. That's why 'drying up' means the process of 'removing moisture'.