A 'dry spell' is a long period without something you normally enjoy or expect — most commonly used about sexual activity, dating success, creative inspiration, sporting victories, or sales at work. 'I've been in a dating dry spell' is candidly admitting a lull. If your teen uses it, the context usually makes clear which sense they mean. Harmless conversational language about temporary lulls.
dry spell
A prolonged period without any romantic or sexual activity.
draɪ spelDocumented since 2010s2010sGen AlphatrendingCurrent185 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Seen in the wild
4 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~2018 · 1 year of recorded useSeen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
“Dry Spell” by Kacey Musgraves #nowplaying #radio1
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BlueskyMay 2026
BBC Radio 1 Going Home with Katie and Jamie Now Playing Kacey Musgraves Dry Spell
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BlueskyMay 2026
It won’t stay like this forever will it? https://www.flakefood.com/866891/it-wont-stay-like-this-forever-will-it/ Been on a bit of a dry spell lately. Hope to break it soon 🤞🎣👍 Posted by leveckjt87
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BlueskyMay 2026
the 'dry spell' music video features a cake that elton john farted on i can't believe this
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Wikipedia: 1880 Kentucky Derby
A dry spell stretching from late April to race day left the track with thick dust that obscured the horses from view for part of the race.
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Definitions
Global
+612100%
#1·Apr 24, 2026Global
A prolonged period without any romantic or sexual activity. Measured in months, announced self-deprecatingly in group chats, occasionally weaponized as a reason for bad decisions. The length of your dry spell is usually inversely correlated with your patience for small talk on apps.
See it in action
“It won’t stay like this forever will it? https://www.flakefood.com/866891/it-wont-stay-like-this-forever-will-it/ Been on a bit of a dry spell lately. Hope to break it soon 🤞🎣👍 Posted by leveckjt87”
"Eighteen-month dry spell. At this point I've forgotten how to flirt."
Origin: Dating / app-era coinage, popularized on TikTok and in lifestyle journalism, 2018–2024.
For parents
A 'dry spell' is a long period without something you normally enjoy or expect — most commonly used about sexual activity, dating success, creative inspiration, sporting victories, or sales at work. 'I've been in a dating dry spell' is candidly admitting a lull. If your teen uses it, the context usually makes clear which sense they mean. Harmless conversational language about temporary lulls.
For ESL learners
'Dry spell' is informal English for a prolonged period without something desired — most commonly sex/dating, creative inspiration, sporting wins or sales success. The metaphor originates in weather (a dry spell = a stretch without rain). Register: informal in most personal uses; neutral in weather/business contexts. In formal English use 'a prolonged period without [X]'. A common learner mistake is to assume it always refers to sex; context disambiguates — 'a dry spell at work' refers to sales, etc.
Heard in the wild
““Dry Spell” by Kacey Musgraves #nowplaying #radio1”
— Bluesky· May 2026“BBC Radio 1 Going Home with Katie and Jamie Now Playing Kacey Musgraves Dry Spell”
— Bluesky· May 2026“It won’t stay like this forever will it? https://www.flakefood.com/866891/it-wont-stay-like-this-forever-will-it/ Been on a bit of a dry spell lately. Hope to break it soon 🤞🎣👍 Posted by leveckjt87”
— Bluesky· May 2026“the 'dry spell' music video features a cake that elton john farted on i can't believe this”
— Bluesky· May 2026“A dry spell stretching from late April to race day left the track with thick dust that obscured the horses from view for part of the race.”
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Show 3 more dictionary-style senses (imported)
Global
#2·May 2, 2026Global
A period of time without sexual intercourse.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#3·May 2, 2026Global
A period or time where there is little activity, productivity, low income etc.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#4·May 2, 2026Global
A drawn-out period where the weather has been dry, for an abnormally long time; shorter and not as severe as a drought.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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💘About Relationships & Dating slang
How people talk about dating apps, modern romance, and the situationships they swear they're over — from ghosting and breadcrumbing to soft-launching, hard-launching, and the ick.
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