douse
Americanverb (used with object)
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to plunge into water or the like; drench.
She doused the clothes in soapy water.
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to splash or throw water or other liquid on.
The children doused each other with the hose.
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to extinguish.
She quickly doused the candle's flame with her fingertips.
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Informal. to remove; doff.
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Nautical.
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to lower or take in (a sail, mast, or the like) suddenly.
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to slacken (a line) suddenly.
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to stow quickly.
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verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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to plunge or be plunged into water or some other liquid; duck
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(tr) to drench with water, esp in order to wash or clean
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(tr) to put out (a light, candle, etc)
noun
verb
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nautical to lower (sail) quickly
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archaic to strike or beat
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dousesimple
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dousessimple
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have dousedperfect
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has dousedperfect
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am dousingprogressive
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are dousingprogressive
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is dousingprogressive
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have been dousingperfect progressive
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has been dousingperfect progressive
Past
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dousedsimple
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had dousedperfect
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was dousingprogressive
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were dousingprogressive
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had been dousingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of douse
First recorded in 1590–1600; origin uncertain
Explanation
Use the verb douse to describe covering something with water or other liquid. When you're camping, you douse the campfire with water when you're done with it. Douse often involves water, but you could also douse your French fries in ketchup. Douse can describe the act of extinguishing a candle, or even turning off a light. You might douse your bedroom light when it's time to sleep or simply douse a candle by blowing it out. Douse is most commonly pronounced to rhyme with mouse.
Vocabulary lists containing douse
A Recipe for Success: Thanksgiving Cooking Words
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"Of Mice and Men"
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The Cay
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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.
Douse it with cheese or gussy it up with some fresh herbs — and voila!
From Salon • Mar. 12, 2023
Douse had 2.5 sacks, and Powell-Lee, who missed most of practice this week with an illness, had an interception, along with his fumble recovery.
From Washington Post • Nov. 5, 2022
Kiefer Douse hit the first of two free throws with eight seconds left to put the game out of reach.
From Washington Times • Mar. 2, 2017
Douse millions of houses with DDT, and mosquitoes will learn to extract their blood in the evenings instead, before people go indoors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2010
"Douse the blaze there!" cried Mr. Kimball, as he saw that in spite of the good work of the boys much of his hay might yet be burned.
From The Young Firemen of Lakeville; or, Herbert Dare's Pluck by Webster, Frank V.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
