Translation guide
The quality or state of being dry, lacking moisture, or being uninteresting. This guide covers physical dryness, dryness of skin/hair, dryness in food/drink, and figurative dryness (e.g., humor, writing).
Describing something that is dry to the touch, lacking water or moisture, such as air, soil, or objects.
The most common and general word for dryness, used for air, skin, soil, food, etc. Can be used as a noun or with する to mean 'to dry'.
I'm concerned about the dryness of the air.
This room is dry.
The noun form of 乾く (to dry), often used for the state of being dry, especially of laundry, dishes, or the ground. Slightly more concrete than 乾燥.
The laundry isn't drying well.
Describing skin or hair that lacks moisture, feels rough or flaky.
Used for skin and hair dryness. Often appears in product names or descriptions.
My skin is very dry.
Specifically for hair that is dry, frizzy, or lacking moisture. Often used in hair care contexts.
I'm bothered by my hair's dryness/frizziness.
Describing food that is dry, not moist, or lacking sauce/juiciness, often in a negative sense.
An onomatopoeic word describing food that is dry and crumbly, like overcooked chicken or stale bread. Often negative.
This bread is dry and crumbly.
Used for dried foods (e.g., dried fruit, jerky) or the process of drying. Not typically used for the unpleasant dryness of cooked food.
Describing something dull, uninteresting, or lacking warmth, such as humor, writing, or a personality.
Literally 'tasteless and dry', used for something completely uninteresting, dry as dust. Often describes writing, lectures, or presentations.
His lectures are dry as dust.
Loanword from English 'dry', used for a dry sense of humor or a detached, unemotional attitude. Can be positive or negative depending on context.
Literally 'dried', used metaphorically for a dry, emotionless quality, such as a dry laugh or a dry writing style. Less common than ドライ.
A dry laugh escaped me.
乾燥 is more formal and abstract, used for climate, skin, and industrial processes. 乾き is more concrete and everyday, often for laundry or dishes. 乾燥 can also be a verb (乾燥する), while 乾き is only a noun.
A dry weather advisory is in effect.
The laundry is slow to dry.
cream for dry skin
乾燥イチジク
dried figs
I like his dry jokes.