bathe
Americanverb (used with object)
-
bathes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bathed,
past participle, past
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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.
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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
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bathes
plural
verb
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(intr) to swim or paddle in a body of open water or a river, esp for pleasure
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(tr) to apply liquid to (skin, a wound, etc) in order to cleanse or soothe
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to immerse or be immersed in a liquid
to bathe machine parts in oil
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to wash in a bath
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(tr; often passive) to suffuse
her face was bathed with radiance
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(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
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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:
“Am I going to buy it because I want to bathe in a pickle? No,” said Lucas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Every morning, she wakes up and climbs up to her damaged apartment to bathe, change clothes and get ready for work.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 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
As part of the process, Regis has recorded many of the day-to-day tasks they confront, including navigating Medicaid options and helping her wash and bathe.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
"Well...” said Chester, "I, uh...that is…” At this point, Chester started to bathe his tail, which is a cat’s way of changing a subject he finds uncomfortable.
From "Bunnicula" by Deborah Howe and James Howe
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
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
She's holding a container of ice-cold, artificial cerebrospinal fluid, which mimics the liquid that bathes the brain and spinal cord.
From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2025
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
Enrique’s father bathes, dresses, splashes on cologne, and follows her.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
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
Bordeaux was bathed in sunshine on the afternoon of Saturday, 11 June, tens of thousands of Welsh supporters descending on the French city for their opening game against Slovakia.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Maxine glides along, bathed in gratitude, making assured artistic decisions and certain that she is on the precipice of something that will change her life forever.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
The movie’s title and setting—an endless expanse of deserted, largely furniture-free office space bathed in sickly yellow—come from a crowd-sourced urban legend or “creepypasta” that spread online before the pandemic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
She saw a vision bathed in red of her husband flirting with the housekeeper in the alley of the hotel they were going to on vacation.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Each floor will have two neighborhoods, where staff will prepare meals for residents and assist residents with their daily needs, such as bathing and getting dressed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 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
The daily amount depends instead on the type of care, such as nursing care or home healthcare services such as bathing and dressing.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Unrelated to the Blue Flag scheme, red flags can sometimes be flown at beaches and bathing waters following a short-term pollution incident.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
She’s wearing a two-piece magenta bathing suit and a faded basketball jersey as a cover-up.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
