secado
/seˈkado/
The Spanish word for "drying" is secado.
secado refers to the act or process of drying. It is used when describing how products like paint or ink behave, such as in the phrase secado rápido to mean "quick-drying".
Meaning: the act of drying (noun)
Which one should you use?
While secado is the common way to refer to the act of drying, desecación is used for the extensive removal of moisture, often in scientific or technical contexts. Additionally, seco is the adjective form used to describe something that is "dry".
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun, secado is a masculine singular noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/seˈkado/
Did you know?
- The adjective seco, which comes from the same root as secado, can be used figuratively in Spanish to describe a person who is 'dry' or 'cold' in their manner, much like the English 'dry' or 'brusque'.
- While secado refers to the process, the Spanish verb secar is used in the phrase secarse las lágrimas to mean 'to wipe away tears' rather than just removing moisture.
- The word secado is a close relative of the English word 'siccatif', a chemical agent used to accelerate the drying of paint.
Examples in context
- El aire acelerará el secado.The air will speed up the drying.This sentence shows how air can affect the secado.Tatoeba #8612598 by arh, translation #9706263 by DJ_Saidez
- Esta pintura es de secado rápido.This paint is fast-drying.This sentence uses secado to describe the speed of a product.
- El proceso de secado es importante para preservar los alimentosThe drying process is important for preserving food
- La desecación del lodo requiere tiempo y atenciónThe drying of the mud requires time and attention
- Mis zapatos se están secando al solMy shoes are drying in the sun
- Prefiero secar mi ropa al aire libre para ahorrar energíaI prefer air drying my clothes to save energy
- No se olviden de tender la ropa recién lavada para que se seque al solDon't forget to hang freshly washed laundry so it can dry in the sun
- La ropa se seca rápidamente en el clima caluroso mexicanoClothes dry quickly in the Mexican hot climate
- El secado de la ropa tomó mucho tiempo.The drying of the clothes took a long time.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are in the laundry room.
- Mateo¿Cómo va el secado de la ropa?How is the drying of the clothes going?
- LucíaEl secado todavía no ha terminado.The drying has not finished yet.
- MateoParece que hoy hay mucha humedad.It seems like it is very humid today.
- LucíaSí, por eso el secado es tan lento.Yes, that's why the drying is so slow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry secado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
