dry up

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"dry-up" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dry up” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To become dry (often of weather); to lose water.

Key facts for dry up
PropertyValue
Headworddry up
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dry up” sits in English frequency

dry up falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for dry up is 6 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for dry up, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is dry up, spelled D-R-Y- -U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To become dry (often of weather); to lose water.
  2. 2
    To cause to become dry.
  3. 3
    To manually dry dishes and utensils.
  4. 4
    To deprive someone of (something vital).
  5. 5
    To gradually decrease and eventually cease.
  6. 6
    To stop talking because one has forgotten what one was going to say.
  7. 7
    To stop talking because one has forgotten what one was going to say.
  8. 8
    To stop talking or drop a topic.

This word in other languages

austrocknen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dry up"?
"dry up" is spelled D-R-Y- -U-P.
What does "dry up" mean?
As a verb, "dry up" means: To become dry (often of weather); to lose water.
What language does "dry up" come from?
"dry up" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “dry up”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-R-Y- -U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list