moist
/mɔɪst/adjective, noun, verb
moist is spelled M-O-I-S-T: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 4.9 times per million words in written English, the 11,373rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, moist means “Characterized by the presence of moisture; not dry; slightly wet; damp” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in moist?
| Letters | 5: M-O-I-S-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.9 times per million words; the 11,373rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is moist?
Moist appears 4.9 times per million words in written English, the 11,373rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce moist?
- US /mɔɪst/
Moist has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-moist.ogg, En-us-moist.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with moist?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as moist from its last stressed vowel (/ɔɪst/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of moist
- moister comparative
- more moist comparative
- moistest superlative
- most moist superlative
- moists present, singular, he/she/it
- moisting participle, present
- moisted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does moist mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Characterized by the presence of moisture; not dry; slightly wet; damp.
- 2
Of eyes: wet with tears; tearful; also (obsolete), watery due to some illness or to old age.
- 3
Of a climate, the weather, etc.: damp, humid, rainy.
- 4
informalOf the vagina: sexually lubricated due to sexual arousal; of a woman: sexually aroused, turned on.
- 5
Characterized by the presence of some fluid such as mucus, pus, etc.
- 6
Of sounds of internal organs (especially as heard through a stethoscope): characterized by the sound of air bubbling through a fluid.
- 7
Pertaining to one of the four essential qualities formerly believed to be present in all things, characterized by wetness; also, having a significant amount of this quality.
- 8
obsoleteFluid, liquid, watery.
noun
- 1
Moistness; also, moisture.
verb
- 1
USTo make (something) moist or wet; to moisten.
- 2
obsoleteTo inspire, to refresh (someone); also, to soften (one's heart).
- 3
USTo rain lightly; to drizzle.
- 4
obsoleteTo have an effect of moistening or wetting.
noun
- 1
A follower of the religion of Moism.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Moist in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense characterized by the presence of moisture; slightly wet:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does moist come from?
The adjective is derived from Middle English moist, moiste [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman moist, moiste, moste, Middle French moiste, and Old French moiste, muste (“damp, moist, wet”) (modern French moite); further etymology uncertain, perhaps a blend of a Late Latin variant of Latin mūcidus (“mouldy, musty”) + a Late Latin derivative of Latin mustum (“unfermented or partially fermented grape juice or wine, must”). The noun is derived from the adjective.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).