dehydrate
2 synonyms and 1 antonym for dehydrate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To remove water from something, especially to dry it out for preservation.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
desiccate
exsiccate
Antonyms
How to use dehydrate
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
dehydrate fruit
start to dehydrate
risk of dehydrating
The word is used in both everyday and medical or food-preparation contexts without sounding overly formal.
Etymology
The word combines the prefix de-, meaning removal or reversal, with hydrate, so together it describes taking water away from something.
Full origin of dehydrate →Frequently asked questions
What does dehydrate mean?
It means to remove water from something, or, for a person, to lose too much water from the body.
Is dehydrate the same as dry out?
It covers a similar idea, and is used both for drying food and for a person losing body water.
Can dehydrate be used for both food and people?
Yes, it is transitive when applied to food, such as dehydrating fruit, and intransitive when describing a person becoming dehydrated.
