1
: excessively dry
specifically
: having insufficient rainfall to support agriculture
an arid region
2
: lacking in interest and life : jejune
arid textbooks
arid·i·ty
ə-ˈri-də-tē 
a-
a-
plural -es
1
: the quality or state of being arid : dryness
the aridity of desert sands
2
: unavailability of water present in a habitat to organisms occupying that habitat whether caused by inability of the organisms to remove the water or to the ability of the soil to withhold it
Examples of arid in a Sentence
Adjective
a dull and arid textbook
an arid speech about duty and responsibility
Recent Examples on the Web
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 July 2026
Walking around the tiny outpost offers an understanding of just how vast and desolate this arid part of the country can be.
—
Maryam Siddiqi,
Travel + Leisure,
30 June 2026
Hundreds of firefighters have been arriving in the arid state to battle new starts as well as those that have been growing because of what forecasters called critical fire weather — dangerously low humidity levels, warm temperatures and gusty winds.
—
ABC News,
27 June 2026
The medium-sized bats primarily live in arid grasslands, desert scrublands, and dry tropical forests.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for arid
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Adjective
To operate in arid environments, the physical architecture eliminates the need for external water cooling.
—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 July 2026
Walking around the tiny outpost offers an understanding of just how vast and desolate this arid part of the country can be.
—
Maryam Siddiqi,
Travel + Leisure,
30 June 2026
Hundreds of firefighters have been arriving in the arid state to battle new starts as well as those that have been growing because of what forecasters called critical fire weather — dangerously low humidity levels, warm temperatures and gusty winds.
—
ABC News,
27 June 2026
The medium-sized bats primarily live in arid grasslands, desert scrublands, and dry tropical forests.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for arid
Cite this Entry
“Arid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arid. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
arid
adjective
ar·id
ˈar-əd
: very dry
especially
: not having enough rainfall to support agriculture
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