bathe
Americanverb (used with object)
-
bathes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bathed,
past participle, past
-
bathing
present participle
-
to immerse (all or part of the body) in water or some other liquid, for cleansing, refreshment, etc.
-
to wet; wash.
-
to moisten or suffuse with any liquid.
-
to apply water or other liquid to, with a sponge, cloth, etc..
to bathe a wound.
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to wash over or against, as by the action of the sea, a river, etc..
incoming tides bathing the coral reef.
-
to cover or surround.
a shaft of sunlight bathing the room; a morning fog bathing the city.
verb (used without object)
-
bathes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bathed,
past participle, past
-
bathing
present participle
noun
-
bathes
plural
verb
-
(intr) to swim or paddle in a body of open water or a river, esp for pleasure
-
(tr) to apply liquid to (skin, a wound, etc) in order to cleanse or soothe
-
to immerse or be immersed in a liquid
to bathe machine parts in oil
-
to wash in a bath
-
(tr; often passive) to suffuse
her face was bathed with radiance
-
(tr) (of water, the sea, etc) to lap; wash
waves bathed the shore
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
bathesimple
-
bathessimple
-
have bathedperfect
-
has bathedperfect
-
am bathingprogressive
-
are bathingprogressive
-
is bathingprogressive
-
have been bathingperfect progressive
-
has been bathingperfect progressive
Past
-
bathedsimple
-
had bathedperfect
-
was bathingprogressive
-
were bathingprogressive
-
had been bathingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bathe
before 1000; Middle English bath ( i ) en, Old English bathian, equivalent to bæth bath 1 + -ian infinitive suffix
Explanation
When you bathe, you wash yourself. A cat bathes itself by licking its fur with a rough tongue. If you're human, don't try that technique. The word bathe generally means to clean yourself in a tub of water — as opposed to shower, which means to wash beneath a stream of water. You can, however, use this verb to describe almost any kind of cleansing: you might bathe the scrape on a child's knee with a soapy cloth. Poetically, the sun can also bathe, or saturate, something with light. In Britain, to bathe also means "to swim."
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:
That's changed since the festival's origins 170 years ago, when bachelor farmers and moneyed visitors would flock to the spa town of Lisdoonvarna to bathe in its mineral-rich waters and socialise.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
I felt sure they had decided to bathe and join us in reality.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
A 10-day sojourn at the composer’s West Hollywood, Calif., home was congenial and productive, even though Auden reportedly declined to shower or bathe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The pictures of a clearly uncomfortable Messi helping Sheila bathe her son in a blue plastic tub were published, then forgotten, until Yamal helped Spain win the 2024 European Championship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Week-end visitors probably used to come and bathe, and then go for a sail in the boat.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Inspired by traditional Indian cooking and Southeast Asian flavors, this Food52 recipe bathes and simmers sautéed heads of romaine in a delicious mixture of gingery coconut milk, fresh lime juice and fish sauce.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
The rising sun bathes the rolling Herefordshire hillsides in a warm glow as birds gently chirp and sheep graze in the fields.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Gray clouds darken the sky, but Leutze bathes Washington in light, depicting him as an unflinching leader of a squad of men that purposely includes a Native American and a black man.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
John Andrews, MD, a resident in neurosurgery, placed the tissue on a nutrient medium that resembles the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 15, 2024
After she finishes, his mother bathes him with the remaining gardenias.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
The living room, bathed in natural light, offers vaulted ceilings, a chic bar area, and a fireplace.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
Tracing Saint’s rise and fall over six seasons, the final episode was bathed in tragedy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Rickards and others spoke of Parton's unifying spirit, her devotion to mountainous, working-class East Tennessee, and how the singer-songwriter's presence bathed the region in a sort of country glamor.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
A coyote is bathed in red light; a cougar stalks near a grand piano; a man stands in a tropical jungle surrounded by mist; a pay phone off the hook dangles by its cord.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
They woke to a sense of peace and heavenly freshness; they bathed in a clear brook.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
In Scotland, state-funded personal care is offered to all adults who are assessed as needing help with tasks including eating and bathing.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
“Coffee is dressed up in a jacket, right? Iced coffee’s like a bathing suit.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
“It’s so funny because it’s like these people have maybe never seen a woman in a bathing suit with hairy legs,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Wearing bathing costumes and many carrying children, the tourists were moved to nearby beaches, while about 200 were taken to a ship waiting at sea, officials and public broadcaster ERT said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
They looked as if they spent all summer outdoors in bathing suits, on boats.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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