Meaning
dry
- dried
- thin, skinny
- sharp, curt
In a sentence
Il pane è secco, meglio comprarlo fresco.
The bread is dry, better to buy it fresh.
Hai sentito quel rumore secco alla porta?
Did you hear that sharp noise at the door?
Dopo la dieta, Marco è diventato troppo secco.
After the diet, Marco became too thin.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| secco | masculine · singular |
| secca | feminine · singular |
| secchi | masculine · plural |
| secche | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- For food, secco often means not sweet: vino secco = dry wine. Don’t confuse it with asciutto, which is about lacking moisture.
- With speech or behavior, secco means abrupt or curt: una risposta secca. It can sound negative, unlike diretto or chiaro.
- For body build, secco can mean very skinny or wiry, often colloquial. Magro is the safer neutral choice.