nounnounadjective

el seco

dry

Describe algo que no tiene agua o humedad.

Definition & meaning

Seco is a Spanish adjective meaning dry, usually referring to something without moisture or liquid.

Una toalla seca means “a dry towel.”
El suelo está seco means “the ground is dry.”
Pan seco means “dry or stale bread.”
Una tos seca means “a dry cough,” producing little or no mucus.

It has several extended meanings:

Dry, not sweet, especially when describing alcoholic drinks:
vino seco means “dry wine,” in contrast to sweet wine.
Thin or lean, when describing a person or body:
un hombre seco can mean “a thin, wiry man.” This use may sound somewhat descriptive or blunt depending on context.
Cold, abrupt, or unfriendly in manner:
una respuesta seca means “a curt or blunt response.”
Barren or lacking water:
una región seca means “a dry or arid region.”
Completely or thoroughly, in some expressions:
ganar por seco means “to win decisively,” especially in sports or competitions.

It can also function as a noun in certain contexts. Un seco may refer to a dry item or, regionally, to a dish containing rice and meat, particularly in parts of Latin America.

Grammar & Word origin

Seco is an adjective with four forms:

masculine singular: seco
feminine singular: seca
masculine plural: secos
feminine plural: secas

It normally comes after the noun, as in ropa seca , meaning “dry clothes,” though placement can vary in literary or emphatic usage.

The word comes from Latin siccus, meaning “dry.” It is related to the verb secar , “to dry” or “to make dry,” and the noun sequedad , “dryness.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

árido — “arid” or “parched”; stronger and more commonly used for land, climates, or abstract subjects.
deshidratado — “dehydrated”; emphasizes the loss of water, especially in food, organisms, or medical contexts.
sin humedad — literally “without moisture”; a direct descriptive phrase.
curtido — can describe a dry or tough texture, especially food, but is not a general synonym.
brusco or cortante — possible synonyms when seco means “curt” or “abrupt,” rather than physically dry.

Antonyms

húmedo — “damp” or “moist”; the most direct antonym for physical dryness.
mojado — “wet,” usually implying contact with a noticeable amount of liquid.
empapado — “soaked” or “drenched”; much stronger than mojado.
dulce — the antonym of seco when describing wine or other drinks.
amable or cordial — antonyms when seco describes an unfriendly or curt manner.

Common phrases & collocations

estar seco — “to be dry”; also, colloquially, “to be broke” or “to have no money.”
quedarse seco — “to become dry”; colloquially, “to be left without money” or, in some contexts, “to be exhausted.”
a secas — “plainly,” “simply,” or “without anything added.”
Example: llámame Juan, a secas — “just call me Juan.”
en seco — “dry,” “without water,” or “abruptly,” depending on context.
Example: frenar en seco — “to brake suddenly.”
vino seco — “dry wine.”
fruta seca — “dried fruit” or, depending on context, “nut.”
ropa seca — “dry clothes.”
respuesta seca — “a curt or blunt reply.”