dry up

become completely dry, or stop existing because there is no more left

B2

What does "dry (sth) up" mean?

When a river, supply, or opportunity 'dries up', it gradually disappears completely until there is nothing left. The image comes from water evaporating or a river shrinking until it vanishes — but the phrase is used just as often for abstract things like funding, job opportunities, or inspiration. Crucially, nothing and no one causes it to disappear; it simply ceases on its own, which is what makes this phrasal verb different from similar expressions. It carries a sense of inevitability and completeness — what has dried up is not just reduced but gone. You will often see it in news articles and reports describing economic or environmental decline.

Examples

How to use it

subject (supply/resource) + dry up

The most common pattern: an abstract or natural resource is the subject, and no object follows.

Tourism in the area has dried up since the new travel restrictions came into force.

subject + dry up + (time/cause phrase)

A time or cause phrase can follow to explain when or why the supply disappeared, but the verb itself still has no object.

Donations dried up after the charity's financial scandal became public.

subject + be + drying up

The continuous form emphasises that the disappearance is happening gradually right now.

Investment in the sector is drying up as confidence among traders falls.

subject + have/has + dried up

The present perfect is especially common in journalism and analysis to describe a current state resulting from a recent change.

Government funding for the arts has completely dried up in the past two years.

Common Collocations

investmentfundingriversupplyopportunitiesinspiration

Common Mistakes

Using it transitively

'Dry up' is intransitive — it cannot take a direct object. If you want to say what caused the disappearance, express it as a separate clause or phrase instead.

✗ The recession dried up the investment.
✓ Investment dried up because of the recession.
Confusing it with 'run out'

'Run out' usually implies a supply being used up or consumed, often with a person or group responsible. 'Dry up' suggests a more natural, gradual disappearance with no agent involved — nothing is using the supply up; it simply vanishes.

✗ We ran out of investment in the region after the new taxes.
✓ Investment in the region dried up after the new taxes were introduced.
Using the habitual present simple

The simple present sounds unnatural with this verb unless you are describing a clear, recurring seasonal pattern. For a one-time or ongoing situation, use the present perfect or continuous instead.

✗ Funding dries up in this country.
✓ Funding has dried up in this country.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both formal writing (journalism, reports) and everyday speech. It is especially common in the present perfect to describe a current problem: 'Funding has dried up.'

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'dry up' be used in the passive, like 'investment was dried up'?

No — 'dry up' in this sense cannot be used in the passive. Because the verb is intransitive and takes no object, there is no way to form a passive construction. The subject is always the thing that disappears, and it acts on its own.

Does 'dry up' always mean a supply disappears? I've heard it used differently.

In this sense, yes — the subject is always a resource, supply, or opportunity that gradually ceases to exist. However, the same phrasal verb has a separate meaning: when a person 'dries up', they suddenly forget what to say, often in a public performance. The context makes it clear which sense is meant, since the subjects are completely different.

What kinds of things can 'dry up' in this sense?

Both physical and abstract things can dry up. Physical sources of water — rivers, streams, wells, and reservoirs — dry up literally. Abstract flows such as funding, investment, job opportunities, donations, leads, and inspiration dry up metaphorically. What they all have in common is that they were once flowing or available and have now completely stopped.

What's the difference between 'dry up' and 'run dry'?

'Run dry' is a close synonym and is used in very similar contexts, but it tends to sound slightly more formal and is often paired with resources like wells or reserves. 'Dry up' is more versatile and common across both everyday speech and journalism. In most contexts, either works, but 'dry up' is the more frequent choice.

Why is 'has dried up' so common? Can I use other tenses?

The present perfect ('has dried up' or 'have dried up') is particularly frequent because it describes a current problem that resulted from something that happened recently — a natural fit for news reporting and analysis. You can absolutely use other tenses: the past simple ('dried up'), past perfect ('had dried up'), continuous ('is drying up'), and future ('will dry up') are all natural depending on your meaning.

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