soak
Americanverb (used without object)
-
soaks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
soaked,
past participle, past
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soaking
present participle
-
to lie in and become saturated or permeated with water or some other liquid.
-
to pass, as a liquid, through pores, holes, or the like.
The rain soaked through the tear in the umbrella.
- Synonyms:
- seep
-
to be thoroughly wet.
Her shoes and socks were soaking and her feet were freezing.
-
to penetrate or become known to the mind or feelings (followed byin ).
The lesson didn't soak in.
- Synonyms:
- seep
-
Informal. to drink immoderately, especially alcoholic beverages.
They were soaking at the bar.
verb (used with object)
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soaks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
soaked,
past participle, past
-
soaking
present participle
-
to place or keep in liquid in order to saturate thoroughly; steep.
-
to wet thoroughly; saturate or drench.
- Antonyms:
- dry
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to permeate thoroughly, as liquid or moisture does.
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Metallurgy. to heat (a piece) for reworking.
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Informal. to intoxicate (oneself ) by drinking an excess of liquor.
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Slang. to beat hard; punish severely.
I was soaked for that mistake.
-
to extract or remove by or as by soaking (often followed byout ).
to soak a stain out of a napkin.
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Slang. to overcharge.
He was soaked by the waiter.
noun
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soaks
plural
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the act or state of soaking or the state of being soaked.
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the liquid in which anything is soaked.
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Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a habitual drinker of alcohol who is frequently intoxicated; a heavy drinker.
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Australian. any small area of land, as near a spring or at the foot of a hill, that becomes swamplike or holds water after a period of heavy rain.
verb phrase
verb
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to make, become, or be thoroughly wet or saturated, esp by immersion in a liquid
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(of a liquid) to penetrate or permeate
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(tr; usually foll by in or up) (of a permeable solid) to take in (a liquid) by absorption
the earth soaks up rainwater
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(tr; foll by out or out of) to remove by immersion in a liquid
she soaked the stains out of the dress
-
(tr) metallurgy to heat (a metal) prior to working
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informal to drink excessively or make or become drunk
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slang (tr) to overcharge
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slang (tr) to put in pawn
noun
-
the act of immersing in a liquid or the period of immersion
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the liquid in which something may be soaked, esp a solution containing detergent
-
another name for soakage
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informal a heavy rainfall
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slang a person who drinks to excess
Synonym Usage
See wet.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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soakernoun
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soakingnoun
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oversoakverb
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resoakverb
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unsoakedadjective
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well-soakedadjective
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soakinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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soaksimple
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soakssimple
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have soakedperfect
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has soakedperfect
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am soakingprogressive
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are soakingprogressive
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is soakingprogressive
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have been soakingperfect progressive
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has been soakingperfect progressive
Past
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soakedsimple
-
had soakedperfect
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was soakingprogressive
-
were soakingprogressive
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had been soakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of soak
First recorded before 1000; Middle English soken, Old English sōcian; akin to suck
Explanation
To soak something is to submerge it into water. Before you cook dry beans, you soak them overnight first. If you’re not a bean, you can also soak up a cool experience by immersing yourself in it. You can soak your dirty laundry in soapy water, or soak rice before you cook it, and you can also soak in a bubble bath. When you do this, you give these things (including yourself) a soak. Informally, the verb also means "immerse in an activity or experience," like when you soak up the applause after your masterful violin performance.
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:
They flew him out to races so he could soak up the outrageous environment of a Grand Prix weekend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
I love places where you can sit for a while, people-watch and soak up the city’s energy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
That loss has made way for invasive annual grasses that ignite more easily, increase erosion and leave less water to soak into aquifers, Barton said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
The world number 46 admits he has been happy to fly "under the radar" at Flushing Meadows while the likes of Tiafoe, Shelton, Fritz and Tommy Paul soak up the attention.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The first thing I did was pour some of the cereal into a bowl with milk to soak.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
Amazingly, the researchers found that hospital administration — not the doctors or the medical care, but the administration — soaks up 1.43% of U.S. gross domestic product.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
The stock issuance still costs shareholders, and it often soaks up extra cash they could receive too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
That weak carbonic acid ultimately soaks into the soil, full of carbon dioxide.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025
Let it mingle: Let the salad rest for at least 15 minutes at room temp so the bread soaks up all the good stuff.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2025
I put the meat in my basket, covering the package with a newspaper, which soaks through in minutes.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
While October has seen a return to wetter conditions, early rainfall tends to be soaked up by soil or runs off hardened ground and hasn't therefore had a significant impact to our reservoirs.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Some 24 million Americans could get soaked, most of whom are solidly middle-class.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
He opens “Digger” lounging in a bed soaked with cat pee, tempting an elderly feline named Maggie to lick wet chow from his gnarled pinkie nail.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Kosin and his family lifted their belongings once they saw the water level was higher than the canal retaining wall, but their ground floor was still left soaked.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
As they drove down Ocean Road, Cat soaked up the colorful houses, the town square, and the ocean breeze.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Earlier studies of sediments from Shanidar Cave found evidence that Neanderthals were soaking plant foods before cooking them around this period.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
Dubois, meanwhile, was greeted by jeers as he marched straight past the fireworks and towards the ring, wasting little time soaking up the occasion.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The sprawling en suite bathroom includes dual vanities, a free-standing soaking tub, and a sizable walk-in shower.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
The Delafield Hotel is a charming boutique property with massive rooms, comfortable beds and bathrooms outfitted with Kohler rain showers and soaking hydrotherapy tubs.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
Mom and I used to spend all our time in here, touching and smelling the flowers, talking about life, and soaking up sunlight.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
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