desiccate

/ˈdes.ɪ.keɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdes.ɪ.keɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈde-si-ˌkāt/ (ame, mw)

desiccate — verb

  • desiccatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • desiccates3rd person singular
  • desiccating-ing form
  • desiccatedpast simple

1. to take out all the water from a substance, leaving it completely dry — for exam

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

to take out all the water from a substance, leaving it completely dry — for example, drying herbs in the sun so they can be stored, or using a machine to dry soil before scientific testing.

例句

Wei desiccated the fresh mint leaves by hanging them in the sun for ten days.

transitive: desiccate + plant material by sun-drying

The lab assistant used a special oven to desiccate the soil samples before weighing them.

transitive: desiccate + noun (laboratory context)

同義詞
  • dehydrate

    more common and less formal; 'desiccate' suggests a more thorough, complete drying

  • dry out

    everyday phrasal verb; 'desiccate' is strictly formal/technical

  • parch

    focuses on the damaging effect of heat or sun, usually on land or plants

反義詞
  • hydrate

    to add water to something

  • moisten

    to make slightly wet, not fully saturated

  • soak

    to make completely wet, opposite of desiccating

文法句型

desiccate + noun phrase (transitive)

desiccate (intransitive, no object)

passive: be/get desiccated

用法筆記

The transitive form is more common in scientific and technical writing. In everyday speech, 'dry out' or 'dehydrate' are far more frequent alternatives. The intransitive form usually describes a natural process caused by sun, wind, or heat.

常見錯誤

❌I desiccated my hands after washing them.
✅I dried my hands after washing them.
💡'desiccate' is too strong and technical for everyday drying of body parts.
❌The paint will desiccate in an hour.
✅The paint will dry in an hour.
💡'desiccate' implies complete moisture removal, not surface drying.

2. to drain something so completely of its liveliness, emotion, or creative energy

2.動詞及物 / 不及物C2
釋義

to drain something so completely of its liveliness, emotion, or creative energy that it becomes flat, empty, or lifeless — for example, a repetitive job that desiccates a person's imagination, or an art scene that has lost all its original passion.

例句

Years of filing claims had desiccated Elena's creative spirit until she stopped painting.

transitive: desiccate + abstract noun (spirit/creativity)

The critics said the director's later films felt desiccated, lacking the energy of his early work.

passive: feel desiccated (artistic context)

同義詞
  • drain

    more common and less extreme; drain can be partial, desiccate implies complete depletion

  • sap

    common verb for gradual loss of energy; less literary than 'desiccate'

  • wither

    suggests natural decline rather than active draining; often used for emotions or hopes

反義詞
  • energize

    to give energy and liveliness to something

  • revitalize

    to put life and energy back into something

  • enrich

    to add value, depth, or meaning to something

文法句型

desiccate + noun phrase (emotion/creativity/spirit)

desiccate (intransitive, figurative)

用法筆記

Almost exclusively used in literary, critical, or formal writing. The figure always implies a negative change: something once lively has become dry and lifeless. The subject is typically an institution, routine, or environment, not a person acting deliberately.

常見錯誤

❌The sun desiccated my enthusiasm.
✅The sun drained my enthusiasm.
💡'desiccate' in the figurative sense needs an abstract cause (boredom, routine, repression), not a physical one.