• 乾燥かんそう — dryness; drying
• 焦燥しょうそう — impatience; restlessness
• 枯燥こそう — dryness; dullness

燥 means “to dry out” or “to become parched,” both physically and mentally. It commonly appears in compounds like 乾燥かんそう (dryness) and 焦燥しょうそう (mental restlessness), linking physical dryness with emotional impatience.