How to Pronounce "keep your powder dry"
expression
KEEP yor POW-der DRY
KEEP yaw POW-duh DRY
Definition
To stay alert, prepared, and ready to act when the right moment comes. This expression comes from the time when gunpowder had to be kept dry to be effective.
IPA Transcription
American English
ˈkip/ /ˈjɔɹ/, /ˈjʊɹ/ /ˈpaʊdɝ/ /ˈdɹaɪ
British English
kˈiːp/ /jˈɔː/ /pˈaʊdɐ/ /dɹˈaɪ
Simplified Pronunciation
US
KEEP yor POW-der DRY
UK
KEEP yaw POW-duh DRY
Listen in Context
It's important to keep your powder dry when waiting for the right opportunity.
If you want to succeed, you should keep your powder dry until the time is right.
The manager advised the team to keep their powder dry before making any decisions.
We can't act just yet—let's keep our powder dry until we get more information.