What does dehydrated mean?
Dehydrated means that water or moisture has been removed from something, or, when used of a person or animal, that too much fluid has been lost from the body. The adjective has both practical and medical uses. Food described as dehydrated has been dried so that it can be stored more easily, while a dehydrated person is not getting enough water and may be seriously unwell. The word comes from dehydrate, formed from the Latin-derived prefix de-, meaning removal or reversal, and a Greek element meaning water. In everyday use, dehydrated often suggests a condition more extreme or more noteworthy than merely dry: a dehydrated crop, dehydrated milk powder, or a severely dehydrated hiker. It is therefore useful in technical, culinary, and health-related writing, though its medical sense carries a more serious implication than its general descriptive sense.
Having had water or moisture removed; dry. In medical contexts, suffering from excessive loss of bodily fluids.
"The company sells dehydrated fruit and vegetables for long-term storage."
The medical sense is usually more serious than the ordinary culinary or descriptive sense.
Having removed water or moisture from something, or having lost water from the body.
"The fruit was dehydrated in a warm, dry chamber."
In this use, dehydrated is normally the past-tense form or past participle of dehydrate.
The word carries its meaning almost literally: its prefix removes water, turning a moist substance into a dry one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does dehydrated come from?
Dehydrated belongs to the modern English word family formed around dehydrate. The prefix de- expresses removal or reversal, while the second element comes from Greek hydōr, meaning water. The same water-root appears in related English words such as hydrous, hydrolysis, and hydrocarbon.
Related word forms
How dehydrated is actually used
The word is common in food preparation, science, and health contexts. In medical usage, it describes a condition caused by insufficient fluid in the body; in general descriptive use, it can sound more technical than simply dry.
Easily confused with dehydrated
Dehydrate is the base verb meaning to remove water from something, while dehydrated is its past-tense form and the adjective describing something that has had water removed.