soak

1 of 2

verb

soaked; soaking; soaks

intransitive verb

1
: to lie immersed in liquid (such as water) : become saturated by or as if by immersion
2
a
: to enter or pass through something by or as if by pores or interstices : permeate
b
: to penetrate or affect the mind or feelings
usually used with in or into
3
: to drink alcoholic beverages intemperately

transitive verb

1
: to permeate so as to wet, soften, or fill thoroughly
2
: to place in a surrounding element (such as liquid) to wet or permeate thoroughly
3
: to extract by or as if by steeping
soak the dirt out
4
a
: to draw or take in by or as if by suction or absorption
soaked up the sunshine
b
: to intoxicate (oneself) by drinking alcoholic beverages
5
: to cause to pay an exorbitant amount
soaker noun

soak

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the act or process of soaking : the state of being soaked
b
: the liquid in which something is soaked
2
3
Choose the Right Synonym for soak

soak, saturate, drench, steep, impregnate mean to permeate or be permeated with a liquid.

soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (such as a color) to the thing immersed.

steep the tea for five minutes

impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

Examples of soak in a Sentence

Verb You should soak those dirty clothes before you wash them. The beans soaked in water overnight. He relaxed and soaked in the tub. After planting the seeds, soak the soil. She soaked the dog with the hose. His shirt was soaked with sweat. I was soaked by the rain. The oil soaked into the wood. Sweat soaked through his shirt. Rain soaked through her jacket. Noun I had a long, hot soak in the tub. felt sorry for the town soak, who couldn't hold a job
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The atmospheric river that soaked Los Angeles earlier this month, for example, was likely worsened by climate change. Matt Simon, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024 After soaking Houston with nearly 50 inches of rain, scientists added new colors and new levels to their rain maps. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024 His unique approach to distilling rum includes soaking his aging barrels in ocean saltwater before filling them and infusing flavors such as Key lime in small batches. Elaine Glusac, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 Unlike his uncle, who’s constantly soaking his bloated body in oily spa treatments, the ferocious na-Baron appears to have been chiseled out of marble, gleaming white during the gladiator match that marks one of the film’s high points. Peter Debruge, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 Make certain to buy semi-pearled farro, which bakes fast without soaking. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2024 Rounds of rain will finally come to an end in California by late Wednesday as the main storm driving the soaking weather pushes eastward, crossing into the Rockies. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024 Cyrus Mayer burst into the room, wearing a keffiyeh head scarf and a white shawl soaked with faux blood. Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2024 The primary suite is a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of the world — complete with a sitting area, walk-in closet, and an expansive bathroom with a spa-like shower and soaking tub. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024
Noun
Here’s why a long, hot soak may be just what the doctor ordered. Georgia Day, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2024 The paczki, 18 dozen per batch, with filling, powdered sugar and candy piece gets an overnight soak with 250 gallons of Michigan and Polish potato vodka in a 500-gallon copper. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 22 Jan. 2024 At the end of the cycles, it is pushed to a soak area and is discharged into a load bank. Evan Williams, Ars Technica, 2 Jan. 2024 The bottom line is, these types of soaks help some people. Amy Norton, SELF, 8 Feb. 2024 According to the brand, the three-in-one product functions as a body wash, bath soak, and base for shaving. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 19 Jan. 2024 Enjoy a soothing soak, go swimming, or try snorkeling and paddle board yoga. Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2023 Just be sure to consistently sanitize your foot bath after using this soak. Sherri Gordon, Verywell Health, 30 Jan. 2024 Between each loop, there is a 15-second pause with the key on, and after each pair, there is a soak of 0–30 minutes. Evan Williams, Ars Technica, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English soken, from Old English socian; akin to Old English sūcan to suck

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of soak was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near soak

Cite this Entry

“Soak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soak. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

soak

1 of 2 verb
1
a
: to lie covered with a liquid
b
: to place in a liquid to wet or as if to wet thoroughly
2
a
: to enter or pass through something by or as if by pores : permeate
b
: to penetrate or affect the mind or feelings
3
: to draw out by or as if by steeping
soak the dirt out
4
: to draw in by or as if by suction or absorption
soaked up the sunshine
5
: to cause to pay too much
soaker noun

soak

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act or process of soaking : the state of being soaked
2

Medical Definition

soak

noun
: an often hot medicated solution with which a body part is soaked usually long or repeatedly especially to promote healing, relieve pain, or stimulate local circulation

More from Merriam-Webster on soak

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