English Reference

Word

hydrate

Phoneticshy·drate

US/ˈhaɪˌdɹeɪt/

UK/hˈaɪdɹeɪt/

Definition

v. to drink enough water or give your body the liquid it needs to stay healthy. You also use this when you put moisture back into your skin or a dry object.

v. to cause to take up or combine with water; to restore or maintain fluid balance in a biological organism. Often used in medical or athletic contexts to describe the intake of fluids.

Examples

“You should hydrate regularly during a long workout.”

“The doctor advised the patient to hydrate frequently with electrolyte solutions to recover from the fever.”

“Athletes must hydrate strategically before a competition to ensure peak muscular performance and avoid the cognitive decline associated with even mild dehydration.”

Examples

simple

“You should hydrate regularly during a long workout.”

contextual

“The doctor advised the patient to hydrate frequently with electrolyte solutions to recover from the fever.”

complex

“Athletes must hydrate strategically before a competition to ensure peak muscular performance and avoid the cognitive decline associated with even mild dehydration.”

Usage

The verb is used both transitively ('hydrate your skin') and intransitively ('remember to hydrate').

Real-World Examples

“Other fruits that can help hydrate you are berries, peaches and citrus fruits, she says.”
BBC News · 12 Aug 2026
“Some are served chilled to lower body temperature, while others feature hydrating ingredients like pickled vegetables or digestion-friendly broths.”
BBC Travel · 20 Jul 2025

Etymology

From French hydrate, from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr, “water”) + -ate.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Related words

Domains

ChemistryProgramming

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference