desiccated
adjective
des·ic·cat·ed
ˈde-si-ˌkā-təd 
1
: dried up
a desiccated landscape
: preserved by drying
a cup of desiccated coconut
… all around were barrels of dried apples and apricots, shriveled and desiccated …—
Margaret Laurence
Margaret Laurence… when visitors come to the lab he likes to show them his collection of curiosities, which includes a desiccated octopus.—Elizabeth Kolbert
Elizabeth Kolbert2
: drained of emotional or intellectual vigor or vitality
Singer's utilitarianism is so dry and desiccated that it drains the drama from philosophy.—George F. Will
George F. WillExamples of desiccated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sure enough, Margarito worked open the bag’s knot and found, amid desiccated coca leaves, a pair of ancient cigarettes rolled in centuries-old paper—an echo of the previous night’s ceremony.
—Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
Their best wins in that stretch were beating the 44-win Detroit Pistons on the road and dancing on the desiccated corpse of the Dallas Mavericks in the Play-In Tournament.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Throw in some desiccated coconut or a few gratings of lemon or orange zest.
—Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Internal combustion is no desiccated relic of the past but a living, developing technology.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2018
See All Example Sentences for desiccated
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
Their best wins in that stretch were beating the 44-win Detroit Pistons on the road and dancing on the desiccated corpse of the Dallas Mavericks in the Play-In Tournament.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Throw in some desiccated coconut or a few gratings of lemon or orange zest.
—Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Internal combustion is no desiccated relic of the past but a living, developing technology.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2018
See All Example Sentences for desiccated
Cite this Entry
“Desiccated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desiccated. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share