Arid

/ˈærɪd/

adjectiveBeginner📊CommonDescriptive
1 meaning2 questions

Definitions

1

Having little or no rain; very dry.

/ˈærɪd/

adjectiveneutralBeginner
Descriptive

Extremely dry; lacking moisture.

The arid landscape stretched for miles.

💡 Simply: Very dry and lacking water.

More Examples

2

The arid conditions made survival difficult.

How It's Used

Geography

"The desert climate is arid, with little rainfall."

Agriculture

"The arid land was unsuitable for farming without irrigation."

From Latin *aridus, past participle of *arēre "to be dry".

The word has been used consistently since the 16th century, primarily in the context of geography and climate.

Memory tip

Think of 'arid' as 'a-rid' – lacking moisture, leaving you with nothing.

Word Origin

Original meaning

"dry"

Base: arid
arid climatearid regionarid land

Common misspellings

arridaride

Usage

20%Spoken
80%Written