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Humour that is presented in a matter of fact way, as it weren't even an attempt to be funny, can be described as dry. And any sort of writing or information can be dry if it's overly factual in nature.

As far as I know, though, no one uses wet to describe obvious humour or information with lots of flourishes.

What would be the right word for the opposite of "dry" in these metaphorical senses?

Or, to ask another way, what one word would you place in these sentences:

His joke definitely wasn't dry, it was downright _____________!

I thought her lecture would be dry, but it was surprisingly ____________.

When was dry first used in this sense, and was wet ever used as it's opposite metaphor?

And if I dare ask a "why" question, is there a reason dry is used in this metaphorical sense without having pulled along the obvious antonym?

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    The opposite is not "wet". It's "Juicy!"
    – SF.
    Jul 25, 2012 at 9:25
  • 3
    As we are talking about humour, I would like to propose that we use the word Moist in those locations, as that word is down right funny!
    – David Watts
    Jul 25, 2012 at 13:00
  • Wet humour would be kind of redundant, since the humours are inherently at least humid, as their name implies (from Latin humēre ‘to be moist’). I suppose throwing water balloons at people might still adequately be considered wet humour, though …
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    May 9, 2015 at 11:01

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In this case, dry is not the opposite of wet, but it means bare, and lacking adornment, such as a dry report.

Etymonline, the online etymology dictionary, indicates the word has been used to describe comedy for more than 500 years!

dry O.E. dryge, from P.Gmc. *draugiz, from PIE *dreug-. Meaning "barren" is mid-14c. Of humor or jests, early 15c. (implied in dryly); as "uninteresting, tedious" from 1620s.

As for antonyms, instead of a dry lecture, you might sit through a lively one. When applied to jokes, a joke might be farcical, or whimsical; a comedy routine might be laced with slapstick. One website I found listed 20 distinct forms of humor; others in that list which seem "opposite" of dry include hyperbolic, sophomoric, screwball, but probably not mordant.

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  • Instead of "and perhaps mordant", you should write "but not mordant", in that mordant humor often is dry, and dry humor mordant, relationships not held by hyperbolic, sophomoric, screwball.
    – James Waldby - jwpat7
    Jul 25, 2012 at 15:26
  • @jwpat: You make a good point. It's true that some dry humor is rather mordant, and vice versa. However, some mordant humor may be too harsh, caustic and biting to be considered dry. I've decided to change "and perhaps mordant" to "but probably not mordant," which takes your suggestion as an improvement, but acknowledges that two comedians – one mordant, and one dry – still might have two very different acts.
    – J.R.
    Jul 25, 2012 at 17:28
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While it is true that dry is often used to describe a type of understated humour, and the person who tells a joke usually delivers the punchline in a flat deadpan voice. It is false that its most obvious antonym wet is never associated with humour. You can in fact wet yourself laughing, which implies that a person laughs so heartily that he or she temporarily loses control of their bladder. Another typical slang expression is piss yourself laughing

A plausible antonym to dry humour could be vaudeville, as in

His joke definitely wasn't dry, it was pure vaudeville!

Although I still prefer J.R's slapstick solution, which typifies the physical humour/comedy genre.

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    If dry humour is subtle, understated or deadpan, then its opposites must include juvenile, unsubtle, obvious or slapstick (or some combination of these).
    – Erik Kowal
    Oct 26, 2014 at 2:49
  • @ErikKowal I opted for vaudeville because it involves music, dance, sketches, jokes, etc. It conjures vivacity, non-stop entertainment, variety, and fun. It also sounded good in the OP's sentence.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Oct 26, 2014 at 6:39
  • My remark was just a general comment. I think vaudeville could be a fine solution; partly, it has the virtue of being fresh and unexpected. :)
    – Erik Kowal
    Oct 26, 2014 at 6:48
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While I have not seen such a usage, the term juicy might convey the sense of the opposite in both these examples.

In regard to humor, the term dry can convey subtlety and indicate a form that may be an acquired taste, like dry wine or martinis. Juicy connotes a more robust and obvious quality.

As to the lecture, the concept of bare or barren does seem to be the closer meaning. I think juicy would work there as well.

This is mere opinion and without reference.

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