DRY UP


Meaning of DRY UP in English

dry up phrasal verb ( see also ↑ dry )

1 . COME TO AN END if a supply of something dries up, it comes to an end and no more is available:

Foreign investment may dry up.

The work soon dried up.

2 . RIVER/LAKE ETC if something such as a river dries up, the water in it disappears:

Across central and west Texas, waterholes and wells have dried up.

dry something ↔ up

Taking too much water for household use is drying up the river.

3 . STOP TALKING if someone dries up, they stop talking:

‘It was -’ She dried up again.

Everyone became embarrassed and conversation dried up.

4 . PLATES/DISHES ETC British English to rub plates, dishes etc dry with a cloth after they have been washed

dry something ↔ up

I’ll just dry up these mugs and we can have a coffee.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.