Meaning & use
dry desert
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A desert that receives very little rain, so its ground and air are extremely dry.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a dry desert' or 'dry deserts'. The adjective 'dry' simply describes the noun 'desert'.
Patterns
- a dry desert
- dry deserts
- the dry desert
The Sahara is a dry desert where rain may not fall for years.
Few plants can survive in such a dry desert.
They crossed a dry desert with almost no water.
adjectivebefore a noun
Describing a desert or desert-like place that has very little moisture or rainfall.
Grammar: Used before a noun: 'dry desert conditions'. It is not usually used after a verb like 'be' in this exact combination.
Patterns
- dry desert conditions
- dry desert climate
- dry desert air
Dry desert air can make your skin feel tight.
The dry desert climate is hard on machines.
They studied how animals live in dry desert conditions.
Word forms
| plural | dry deserts |
|---|
Common combinations
- dry desert climate
- The dry desert climate means very little rain.
- dry desert air
- The dry desert air made her thirsty.
- hot and dry desert
- It is a hot and dry desert with strong winds.
- dry desert region
- This dry desert region is almost empty of people.
Synonyms and how they differ
- arid desert
- 'Arid' is more formal and technical than 'dry' and is often used in geography writing.
- barren desert
- 'Barren' emphasizes that little grows there, while 'dry' emphasizes the lack of water.
Opposites
Word family
- dryness noun
- The state of being dry.
- desert noun
- A large area of land with very little rain.
Commonly confused: dry desert or dessert?
dry desert vs dessert
'Desert' (one s) is a dry place; 'dessert' (two s's) is sweet food eaten after a meal.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'dry desert' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Dry desert' is a noun phrase meaning a desert with little rain, so 'The dry desert receives very little rain' fits. The first option confuses 'desert' with 'dessert' (sweet food). The others use the phrase as a verb or adjective in ways that are not grammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dry desert”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.