What does humid mean?
Humid means having a high amount of moisture, most often in relation to air or weather. The word is especially common when describing conditions that are warm and damp, such as a humid summer afternoon, a humid climate, or air that feels heavy and sticky. Although humid can be used neutrally to describe measurable atmospheric moisture, in everyday language it usually suggests discomfort: humid weather can make clothing cling, slow the evaporation of sweat, and cause people to feel overheated. It is useful where damp might refer to a specific object or surface and moist to a more general degree of wetness, while humid focuses particularly on atmospheric conditions. The related noun humidity names the amount of water vapour in the air.
adjectiveHaving a high amount of moisture, especially in the air. In everyday use, humid often describes weather that feels warm, sticky, or oppressive.
- Having a high amount of moisture, especially in the air; often unpleasantly warm or damp.
"The coastal city remains humid throughout the summer."
"Humid conditions can make hard work feel more exhausting."
"The weather is humid today, with clouds gathering near the coast."
Humid is not simply another word for wet: it usually describes air saturated with moisture, which is why humid weather can feel sticky even when no rain has fallen.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does humid come from?
Humid comes through English from Latin humidus, meaning moist or damp, a form related to the Latin word humus, meaning earth or soil. The word entered English in the seventeenth century in the sense of moist or damp and was later applied especially to air containing a large amount of moisture. Its relatives humidity and humidify were formed later by adding familiar English suffixes to the same Latin foundation.
Related word forms
How humid is actually used
Humid is common in British and American English. It is more often used for air or weather than for a person or object, though phrases such as 'humid conditions' and 'a humid room' are natural. It often carries a mildly negative or uncomfortable connotation.