drench
Americanverb (used with object)
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drenches,
present (3rd person singular)
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drenched,
past participle, past
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drenching
present participle
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to wet thoroughly; soak.
-
to saturate by immersion in a liquid; steep.
-
to cover or fill completely; bathe.
trees drenched with sunlight.
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Veterinary Medicine. to administer a draft of medicine to (an animal), especially by force.
to drench a horse.
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Archaic. to cause to drink.
noun
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the act of drenching.
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something that drenches.
a drench of rain.
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a preparation for drenching or steeping.
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a solution, especially one of fermenting bran, for drenching hides or skins.
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a large drink or draft.
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a draft of medicine, especially one administered to an animal by force.
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Horticulture. a mixture of pesticide and water applied to the soil surrounding a plant.
verb
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to make completely wet; soak
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to give liquid medicine to (an animal), esp by force
noun
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the act or an instance of drenching
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a dose of liquid medicine given to an animal
Usage
What does drench mean? To drench is to soak with a liquid, as in The rain drenched me from head to foot. Often, drench is used in reference to rain, bodies of water, or a spill of some kind. To drench is also to saturate with liquid. When you saturate, or drench, a sponge with water, for example, you add as much water as the sponge can hold. Figuratively, to drench is also to cover or fill completely, such as drenching a plant with sunlight by placing the plant in a sunny window. You might also be drenched in a strong emotion, such as joy or sadness. In other words, you’re full of that joy or sadness. A drench is a large amount of liquid that is poured or dropped onto something, such as rain during a powerful rain storm. Drench is also the specific act of drenching something. Example: The rain is going to absolutely drench the clothes hanging on the laundry line.
Synonym Usage
See wet.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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drenchsimple
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drenchessimple
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have drenchedperfect
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has drenchedperfect
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am drenchingprogressive
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are drenchingprogressive
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is drenchingprogressive
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have been drenchingperfect progressive
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has been drenchingperfect progressive
Past
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drenchedsimple
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had drenchedperfect
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was drenchingprogressive
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were drenchingprogressive
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had been drenchingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of drench
First recorded before 900; Middle English drenchen, Old English drencan, causative of drincan “to drink” ( see drink); cognate with Dutch drenken, German tränken “to water, give to drink”
Explanation
To drench something is to get it thoroughly wet. You might drench your sister with the garden hose to pay her back for squirting you with her water pistol. When you're sailing a small boat on a stormy day, waves might drench you, and a torrential rain storm can also drench you, if you leave your umbrella at home. If your dog is crazy about swimming, he might drench himself often by plunging into whatever body of water you're near. Drench comes from the Old English drencan, which means both "submerge or drown" and "give drink to or make drunk."
Vocabulary lists containing drench
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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Raining Cats and Dogs
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The Circuit
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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:
Forecasters warned that heavy rain was about to drench the event's closing ceremony -- only to realise the radar had picked up a cloud of Bogongs.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Showers that don’t drench you or flood the bathroom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
There, his teammates were waiting with water bottles ready to drench him in celebration, knowing full well how much Friday meant to their newly minted point guard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2025
Heavy rain is set to drench much of the UK over the next few days with the possibility for flooding and travel delays in the hardest-hit locations.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2025
Kilvin squinted through the window of his office, frowned, then left and walked to the other end of the shop toward the shattered drench.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
The alternative, Red Ambience, drenches the car in a fathomless shade of garnet metallic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
As Tropical Storm Debby drenches South Carolina, the region’s alligators and catfish are testing new waters - from puddles to backyard pools and the roads in between.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2024
Birria bathes the meat in broth, tortas ahogadas dips or drenches the sandwich, and carne en su jugo, as the name implies, serves meat in its own juices.
From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2023
FCS teams beat FBS counterparts about as often as cold rain drenches the Rose Bowl in September.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2022
Outside, the sky is blue and bright sunshine drenches the parking lot, which is lined with tall, skinny palm trees.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Now, “Luna” is tender and otherworldly, drenched in the high drama and glamour that San Cha so loves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Wet weather has drenched the Games since Sunday, another headache for organisers wrestling with complaints from teams about accommodation and transport.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
Within 10 minutes, he was drenched with sweat and out of breath.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The landscape is drenched in civil rights history.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
It totally causes a spike in my heart rate, but since old habits apparently die very hard, despite the fact that my pillow is drenched in tears, I reply, “I’m fine!”
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
El Niño, the climate pattern of ocean waters warming up in the central and eastern Pacific, does not guarantee drenching storms in California, but it tilts the chances in their favor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
As other parts of the UK prepared for the fourth heatwave of the summer, the Commonwealth Games athletics competition was given a drenching in Glasgow.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
As a housemate, he was catastrophic—overturning wastebaskets, ransacking drawers and drenching manuscripts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
Then, a second winter of drenching storms triggered two more slides, including one that completely buried another section of California’s Highway 1 under 300,000 cubic yards of dirt, rock and debris.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2026
The drizzle has turned into a steady rain now, soaking through my hoodie and drenching my hair.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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