# moist

> English word · Adjective · IPA /mɔɪst/ · frequency rank #11,421

## Definitions
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. Of 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. Fluid, liquid, watery.
9. Bringing moisture or rain.

## Etymology
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.

## Easily confused with
- **MoS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mos)
- **mot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mot)
- **MST** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mst)
- **most** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-most)
- **must** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-must)
- **moss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-moss)
- **moms** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-moms)
- **mont** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mont)
- **moot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-moot)
- **mort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mort)
- **Mons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mons)
- **mott** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mott)
- **mosh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mosh)
- **mount** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mount)
- **mouse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mouse)
- **moose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-moose)
- **Morse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-morse)
- **Monet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-monet)
- **mossy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-mossy)
- **molest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/moist-vs-molest)

## Common misspellings (7)
`miost`, `mmoist`, `moisst`, `moistt`, `moits`, `mosit`, `omist`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/moist