# hydrate

/ˈhaɪˌdɹeɪt/ (US) · /hˈaɪdɹeɪt/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hydrate
Updated: 2026-05-11

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Usage notes

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

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.