bask
Americanverb (used without object)
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basks,
present (3rd person singular)
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basked,
past participle, past
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basking
present participle
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to lie in or be exposed to a pleasant warmth.
to bask in the sunshine.
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to enjoy a pleasant situation.
He basked in royal favor.
verb (used with object)
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basks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
basked,
past participle, past
-
basking
present participle
verb
-
to lie in or be exposed to pleasant warmth, esp that of the sun
-
to flourish or feel secure under some benevolent influence or favourable condition
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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basksimple
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baskssimple
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have baskedperfect
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has baskedperfect
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am baskingprogressive
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are baskingprogressive
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is baskingprogressive
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have been baskingperfect progressive
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has been baskingperfect progressive
Past
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baskedsimple
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had baskedperfect
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was baskingprogressive
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were baskingprogressive
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had been baskingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bask
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old Norse bathask “to bathe oneself,” equivalent to bath- bath 1 + -ask reflexive suffix
Explanation
To bask in something is to take it in, receive its warmth, or bathe in its goodness. On the first warm day of the spring, you may bask in the sunshine. When you win the Pulitzer, you bask in your own glory. In Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” Jaques says: “...As I do live by food, I met a fool; Who laid him down and bask'd him in the sun,; And rail'd on Lady Fortune in good terms...” That was most likely the first time bask was used in the way that we most often use it now: to bask is to warm yourself, either literally or figuratively, in the glow of the sun, good fortune, happiness, or a job well done.
Vocabulary lists containing bask
The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer
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And Then There Were None
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This Week in Pop Culture: December 1 - 7, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There’s ample media coverage of older Americans who bask in apparent paradise somewhere far from home.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
He’s not a filmmaker given to false modesty, but how long can you bask in that kind of adoration?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
Instead, he was content to bask in the attention at the podium, while keeping his ambitions to himself.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
On a card lacking stars from previous years like Tom Aspinall and Paddy Pimblett, Murphy was given a golden opportunity to bask in the spotlight but Evloev had other ideas.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026
My mother, who I thought had every right under the sun to bask in the glory of my success, was, on the contrary, willing to let my father upstage her.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
For all his talk of how draining the job is - and that much is beyond dispute - he clearly basks in it.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
While Guy basks in professional success, Rosemary begins to wilt, enduring intense pain and flashbacks to a nightmare she had on the night of conception.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025
Nearby, his signature Soliarc Chaise Lounge basks in the sun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2025
Like the woodpeckers, it is adapted to open-canopied longleaf forests, where it basks in the sun, feeds on herbaceous plants and digs deep burrows in the sandy soil.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 20, 2023
He smiles and basks in the cheers and attention lavished upon him.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
It’s been a rapid comedown for a heavyweight that basked in its return to the mountaintop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Once there, however, he basked in the attention of a large crowd that chanted, “U-S-A! U-S-A!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
With a broad smile, he took in the scene and basked in the adulation of a crowd that viewed him as a hero.
From Slate ● May 20, 2026
The EFL Cup does not carry the same lustre as the Champions League or Premier League, but Guardiola did not care about that as he basked in his latest success.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
I had basked safe in the knowledge that I was forever his favorite; I took his love on faith and wrapped it around me like a blanket.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Instead of basking in the wealth he had amassed as a banker and financier, Mellon accepted a summons from President-elect Warren G. Harding and got on a train to Marion, Ohio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
The company’s stock is still basking in the glow of its “exceptionally strong” June-quarter earnings report, which reinforced investors’ confidence that its AI investments are generating returns, Lee added.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
The finding supports the picture of T. rex as an active predator or scavenger with a relatively fast metabolism rather than a sluggish animal that depended heavily on basking in the sun.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
And now, with championship aspirations entering his 13th season, and fifth in Los Angeles, Mack is basking in his role as the Chargers’ elder statesman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
"You do not see the beauty, do you? You have spent too long basking in Ishtar's light."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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