bedew means to make wet with or as if with dew. It carries an Arena rating of 1538, earned across 18 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, bedew ranks #466 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #773 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #3,599 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #3,721 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words.
Why “bedew” is a great word
To moisten with or as if with dew. From Middle English *bidewen*, *bideawen*, equivalent to the prefix *be-* (a general causative or intensifying prefix) + *dew*, cognate with Dutch *bedauwen* and German *betauen*. Unlike "dampen," which implies a general, often banal wetness, or "sprinkle," which suggests a deliberate scattering of drops, to bedew is to impart a specific, gentle film of moisture. It is the silver veil on morning grass, the cool patina on a bottle drawn from ice, or the silent, salty glaze of tears upon a cheek—the world, hushed and glistening, briefly held in a state of tender, transient wetness.
Etymology
From Middle English bidewen, bideawen; equivalent to be- + dew. Cognate with Dutch bedauwen (“to bedew”), German betauen (“to bedew”).
verb
- To make wet with or as if with dew.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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