Damp means slightly wet, not soaking but noticeably moist. When you come inside after playing in the fog, your jacket might be damp. A towel left on the bathroom floor overnight becomes damp. The ground after a light rain is damp, and so is your hair after you've toweled it off but before it fully dries.

Damp sits between dry and wet: more than a little moisture but less than dripping. A damp cloth works well for wiping down surfaces because it's wet enough to clean but not so wet that it leaves puddles. Basements often feel damp because moisture from the ground seeps in slowly over time.

The word can describe uncomfortable conditions too. A damp sleeping bag on a camping trip feels clammy and cold. Damp weather, common in places like England or the Pacific Northwest, means cool, misty days where moisture hangs in the air without quite becoming rain. That kind of dampness can seep into your bones and make you want to curl up somewhere warm and dry.