Desiccate

hard

DES-ih-kayt

verb

Definition

to dry out completely; to drain of vitality

Examples

The relentless sun desiccated the crops within a single week.
Decades of bureaucracy had desiccated what was once a vibrant institution.

Synonyms

dehydrateparchdrywither

Antonyms

moistenhydratesaturatedrench

Categories

GRE Tip

Desiccate is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "dehydrate" or "parch" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "moisten".

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