bask
Americanverb (used without object)
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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)
verb
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to lie in or be exposed to pleasant warmth, esp that of the sun
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to flourish or feel secure under some benevolent influence or favourable condition
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.
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
But he didn’t have much time to bask in the glory.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026
With the audience seated, Bonnie stops for a moment to bask in the sense of accomplishment.
From Salon • Dec. 18, 2025
Drogon hunted far afield, but when he was sated he liked to bask in the sun at the apex of the Great Pyramid, where once the harpy of Meereen had stood.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
