cleanse
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make clean.
-
to remove by or as if by cleaning.
to cleanse sin from the soul.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to remove dirt, filth, etc, from
-
to remove guilt from
-
to remove a group of people from (an area) by means of ethnic cleansing
Related Words
See clean.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cleanse
before 900; Middle English clensen, Old English clǣnsian, equivalent to clǣne clean + -si- v. suffix + -an infinitive suffix
Vocabulary lists containing cleanse
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.
Cleanse: Here’s advice on how to wash your hair.
From New York Times • Jan. 30, 2024
The buzzwords associated with the term, like "detoxification" and "anti-aging," are common across supposedly promising diets, like Master Cleanse.
From US News • Jul. 22, 2016
The self-help fads of the current moment are all about absence and simplicity: Cleanse the body, purge the inbox, Kondo the home.
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2016
"The Taco Cleanse" is out now, and is available on Amazon.com.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2015
Cleanse me, O Lord; give me a new heart.
From The Overcoming Life and Other Sermons by Moody, Dwight Lyman
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.
