bone dry

IPA/ˌbəʊn ˈdraɪ/
IPA/ˌbəʊn ˈdraɪ/

bone dry — adjective

1. so completely lacking in water or any other liquid that there is no trace of moi

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

so completely lacking in water or any other liquid that there is no trace of moisture anywhere on or around the object.

Example

After a week in the desert sun, the riverbed was bone dry and cracked.

bone dry as a predicative adjective describing a place

Zuri checked the laundry, but the towels were already bone dry and ready to fold.

Common collocations
  • riverbed was bone dry
  • ground is bone dry
  • towels are bone dry
  • bone dry and cracked
Synonyms
  • parched

    especially of ground or lips that have become dry from heat or thirst

  • arid

    typically describes climate or land, not everyday objects

  • desiccated

    more formal and scientific, often used for preserved or dehydrated items

Antonyms

Common Mistakes

The towel is bone dry after I used it for five minutes.
The towel is bone dry after hanging in the sun for an hour.
Bone dry describes an extreme state of dryness, not a short use period.

2. having received no rainfall at all over an extended period, causing the earth or

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

having received no rainfall at all over an extended period, causing the earth or climate to become extremely parched.

Example

The farmers worried because the weather had been bone dry for three months.

bone dry describing weather or climate

Kabir remembered a summer so bone dry that the local reservoir shrank to a muddy puddle.

Common collocations
  • bone dry weather
  • bone dry summer
  • bone dry spell
  • bone dry climate
Synonyms
  • rainless

    a factual description rather than an emphatic one

  • drought-stricken

    more severe and usually refers to a region affected by drought

Antonyms
  • rainy

    opposite condition

  • wet

    general opposite

Common Mistakes

The weather is bone dry today, so I will water the garden.
The weather has been bone dry for weeks, so the garden needs watering.
Bone dry emphasises a long, extreme lack of rain, not a single rain-free day.

3. describing a joke, comment, or style of humour that is delivered with a calm, se

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing a joke, comment, or style of humour that is delivered with a calm, serious tone so that the cleverness of the remark surprises the listener.

Example

Hamza made a bone dry comment about the broken lift, and nobody laughed until a moment later.

bone dry as prepositive (attributive) adjective modifying 'comment'

Ari's bone dry sense of humour meant that new colleagues often could not tell when he was joking.

Common collocations
  • bone dry humour
  • bone dry wit
  • bone dry remark
  • bone dry comment
Synonyms
  • deadpan

    focuses on the expressionless delivery, while bone dry emphasises the clever subtlety

  • wry

    implies a mocking or ironic twist, whereas bone dry can be purely clever without irony

Antonyms

Usage Note

The subject is usually a remark, joke, comment, or a person's sense of humour. The listener often needs a moment to realise the statement is meant to be funny.

Common Mistakes

He told a bone dry joke that made everyone roar immediately.
He told a bone dry joke, and it took the audience a few seconds to catch on.
Bone dry humour is subtle and not instantly obvious.

4. so extremely serious and factual that it lacks any entertaining or light quality

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

so extremely serious and factual that it lacks any entertaining or light quality and may feel boring.

Example

The lecture on tax regulations was bone dry and half the students struggled to stay awake.

bone dry as a predicative adjective describing a presentation or text

Constanza found the historical report bone dry with not a single personal story to lighten it.

Common collocations
  • bone dry lecture
  • bone dry report
  • bone dry book
  • bone dry presentation
Synonyms
  • tedious

    emphasises the feeling of slowness and boredom

  • dull

    a more general word for not interesting

  • dry as dust

    an even stronger idiom for the same idea

Antonyms

Usage Note

Applies to speeches, books, classes, or presentations that are heavy on facts but contain no humour or engaging elements. Should not be confused with sense 3 (DRY HUMOUR), which is about the style of a joke.

Common Mistakes

The movie was bone dry because it was too violent.
The movie was bone dry because it was full of statistics and had no humour.
Bone dry in this sense means boringly factual, not extreme in any other way.

5. describing wine that has no trace of sweetness, resulting in a crisp and sharp f

5.adjectiveB1
Definition

describing wine that has no trace of sweetness, resulting in a crisp and sharp flavour on the tongue.

Example

Haruto ordered a bone dry white wine to go with the fish dish.

bone dry as a prepositive adjective modifying types of wine

If you usually drink sweet wine this bone dry red will taste quite sharp.

Common collocations
  • bone dry wine
  • bone dry white
  • bone dry red
  • bone dry champagne
  • bone dry sherry
Synonyms
  • extra dry

    similar level of sweetness, but more commonly used for sparkling wine and champagne

  • brut

    the French term for very dry champagne, equivalent in meaning

Antonyms
  • sweet

    contains noticeable sugar

  • off-dry

    slightly sweet, between dry and sweet

Usage Note

Only used for wine (and occasionally for other alcoholic drinks such as cider or sherry). Do not use for food or other beverages.

Common Mistakes

This apple is bone dry because it is not sweet.
This wine is bone dry, which means it has almost no sugar left after fermentation.
Bone dry for wine is a specific technical term about residual sugar, not a general comment on sweetness.