Which is more wet? Damp or moist?

[drwitz]

My wife and I are having an argument a discussion and I need your help to settle this.

On a scale of wetness from most wet to most dry, which is wetter - moist or dry? Can you answer this very unscientific survey and then offer your reason why in the reply?

 

[chickapin parterre]

damp is wetter....Duncan hines imagine how that would go...our cakes mixes are damp

 

[chickapin parterre]

damp down
1. To moisten something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "damp" and "down."I have to damp down my hair before combing it, or else it just sticks straight up.

without damp....there is no moist

 

[sam_gordon]

damp is wetter....Duncan hines imagine how that would go...our cakes mixes are damp

So this would mean the scale goes

Dry > Moist > Damp > Wet

damp down
1. To moisten something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "damp" and "down."I have to damp down my hair before combing it, or else it just sticks straight up.

without damp....there is no moist

But this would be Dry > Damp > Moist > Wet

I think damp is "wetter", but not by much.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Moist and Damp are about the same degree. But Moist is most often used in a positive context while Damp is used in a negative one.

EWWWW. You're damp and clammy. No hugs for you.
OOOOOO. this cake is so moist and delicious.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

I feel like there are more degrees of dampness. Damp might just be a little wet but when you think moist, it just seems to mean more wet. Btw, I hate the word moist.

 

[mrodgers]

Moist and Damp are about the same degree. But Moist is most often used in a positive context while Damp is used in a negative one.

EWWWW. You're damp and clammy. No hugs for you.
OOOOOO. this cake is so moist and delicious.

I like this one, it makes the most sense to me. I'm going with this one.

 

[Disneylover99]

Moist and Damp are about the same degree. But Moist is most often used in a positive context while Damp is used in a negative one.

EWWWW. You're damp and clammy. No hugs for you.
OOOOOO. this cake is so moist and delicious.

Yes!
When I think of damp, it’s an old, wet smell.
Moist is somehow new and fresh. Lol.

 

[C&Jx2]

I think of moist as superficial, like condensation. I see damp as a soaked in wetness, like clothes from the washer.

 

[kimmar067]

So this would mean the scale goes

Dry > Moist > Damp > Wet

...you forgot "deluge".

 

[kimmar067]

...Btw, I hate the word moist.

...OMG, so does my niece!

 

[drwitz]

Moist has a patina of pleasantness where damp is unpleasant. But that said if you look up scales of wetness you will find paper wetness and concrete wetness. Both disagree with each other on the scale.

 

[Kittyblue]

damp is wetter....Duncan hines imagine how that would go...our cakes mixes are damp

OMG I voted moist until this - you're totally correct!

 

[AppleDumpling]

In my mind, damp is wetter. I think of moist as more about texture than wetness. A smooth texture. For example, a moist cake tastes better than a dry cake. It’s also a plus to moisturize your skin or hair.

Damp is more likely used to describe an undesirable condition, such as damp clothing, a damp room, or the weather when it’s too humid to be comfortable. Yet it’s not always negative. For example, a damp mop works best to clean my wood floors (rather than dry or dripping wet).

 

[DisLiss]

For me, moist actually involves water that can be wrung out. As in a moistened washcloth. But a damp washcloth can just be one that sat in a humid room for tto long and now feels "damp".

Also, I think in terms of fabrics or products that are "moisture-wicking", as in they take wetness away from something. I don't hear people say anything wicks dampness away. So to me that reinforces the idea that things go from dry to damp to moist to wet.

 

[prairie_girl]

Can we please stop saying moist

unless, of course, it’s in reference to speaking moisy

 

[luvthatduke]

Where are Frank & Marie Barone when we need them?

 

[drwitz]

OK, so on TikTok, we have more than 50,000 votes... and damp is winning as more wet than moist. Thoughts?

 

[JLTraveling]

I think damp is wetter. A moist mop wouldn't do much, but a damp mop cleans the floor.

 

[Katie Dawn]

They basically mean the same to me.

And I don't think they're ever used in the same context are they?
You wouldn't never describe a mop as moist.
You would never describe a muffin (even when mixing it) as damp.

And yes, y'all need to quit using the M word like it doesn't gross a bunch of us out.