To clarify the influence of tobacco shred aroma substances on the drying sensation during cigarette smoking, the Hengda cigarette (Blue Gold Medium) was selected as the research object. The aroma substances in the tobacco shred were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS). Through odor activity value(OAV) and sensory evaluation, aroma substances with high contribution to cigarette aroma and significant influence on the drying sensation during smoking were screened. A response surface model was constructed using the Box-Behnken experimental design method to systematically explore the interactions of important tobacco shred aroma substances at different addition levels and their influence on the drying sensation during cigarette smoking. The results showed that 51 main aroma substances were detected in the tobacco shred, among which 24 aroma substances had a high contribution to the tobacco aroma. Through the cigarette smoking drying sensation evaluation method, four important tobacco shred aroma substances that significantly affected the drying sensation during smoking were screened: dihydroactinidiolide and phenylethanol (positive effect), and megastigmatrienone and 2-acetylpyrrole (negative effect). Among them, megastigmatrienone and 2-acetylpyrrole had more significant impacts on the drying sensation during cigarette smoking, followed by phenylethanol and dihydroactinidiolide. The interaction between megastigmatrienone and 2-acetylpyrrole had the most significant effect on the drying sensation. Based on the content of the corresponding substances in the tobacco shred, aroma substance addition combination Ⅰ(dihydroactinidiolide 2.61 μg/g, phenylethanol 3.08 μg/g, megastigmatrienone 135.78 μg/g, 2-acetylpyrrole 2.79 μg/g) significantly improved the drying sensation during cigarette smoking while combination Ⅱ(dihydroactinidiolide 0.87 μg/g, phenylethanol 2.05 μg/g, megastigmatrienone 271.56 μg/g, 2-acetylpyrrole 4.88 μg/g) significantly aggravated the drying sensation.