arider

Arider is the comparative form of the adjective arid. It is used to describe a greater degree of dryness between two or more places, times, or conditions, particularly in geographic, ecological, or climatological contexts.

In everyday English, the more common comparative is drier. Arider is comparatively rare and tends to appear in technical writing, descriptive prose, or where an author wishes to emphasize aridity specifically. When clarity is the goal, many writers prefer "more arid" rather than the single word arider.

Etymology and form: Arid comes from the Latin aridus, and the standard comparative is formed with the suffix -er, yielding arider in English. The superlative is aridest. Some style guides discourage arider in favor of "more arid" to avoid possible ambiguity or awkwardness.

See also: aridity, dryness, arid climate.

Examples: "The region became arider after several dry years." "Compared with last season, the valley is more arid."