Illustrative Context

Is it wet or dry?

Target Sense

• The most generic adjective as an antonym of dry, describing the presence of water within a material, not merely moisture or humidity: i.e. the target sense is wet, not merely damp or humid.
• Avoid terms specific to water only on an outer surface: the lexeme selected should be a generic one that can also refer to the presence of water throughout a material. (Ossetic languages distinguish these senses, for example.)
• A neutral term, without judgement or connotations of wetness as positive or negative (e.g. soaked) in any given case.
• Avoid intensifying terms for extremely or excessively wet, e.g. sodden, soaked.
• Avoid terms specific to humidity in the air, e.g. humid, or any other specialised terms.
• Avoid terms that specifically indicate a change of state, e.g. moisten(ed), watered, humidified.
• Avoid terms specific to figurative uses, e.g. ‘wet’ as self-effacing, weak-willed, etc..