douse
Americanverb (used with object)
-
douses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
doused,
past participle, past
-
dousing
present participle
-
to plunge into water or the like; drench.
She doused the clothes in soapy water.
-
to splash or throw water or other liquid on.
The children doused each other with the hose.
-
to extinguish.
She quickly doused the candle's flame with her fingertips.
-
Informal. to remove; doff.
-
Nautical.
-
to lower or take in (a sail, mast, or the like) suddenly.
-
to slacken (a line) suddenly.
-
to stow quickly.
-
verb (used without object)
-
douses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
doused,
past participle, past
-
dousing
present participle
noun
verb
-
to plunge or be plunged into water or some other liquid; duck
-
(tr) to drench with water, esp in order to wash or clean
-
(tr) to put out (a light, candle, etc)
noun
verb
-
nautical to lower (sail) quickly
-
archaic to strike or beat
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dousesimple
-
dousessimple
-
have dousedperfect
-
has dousedperfect
-
am dousingprogressive
-
are dousingprogressive
-
is dousingprogressive
-
have been dousingperfect progressive
-
has been dousingperfect progressive
Past
-
dousedsimple
-
had dousedperfect
-
was dousingprogressive
-
were dousingprogressive
-
had been dousingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of douse
First recorded in 1590–1600; origin uncertain
Explanation
Use the verb douse to describe covering something with water or other liquid. When you're camping, you douse the campfire with water when you're done with it. Douse often involves water, but you could also douse your French fries in ketchup. Douse can describe the act of extinguishing a candle, or even turning off a light. You might douse your bedroom light when it's time to sleep or simply douse a candle by blowing it out. Douse is most commonly pronounced to rhyme with mouse.
Vocabulary lists containing douse
A Recipe for Success: Thanksgiving Cooking Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Of Mice and Men"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Cay
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The idea is to let firefighters reach areas that hadn’t been checked by bomb-disposal teams so they can cut firebreaks and douse strategic patches of land to protect key areas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Two water-bombing helicopters have been deployed to douse the flames in areas difficult for firefighters to reach due to steep slopes and strong winds, he said in a statement Sunday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
The roof later became structurally unsafe so firefighters used helicopters and water cannons to douse the flames.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
A fire extinguisher was used to douse the blaze.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
She called the buder and maid robots and instructed them to douse the Mellower in a cold bath.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
He no longer douses his sponge with dish liquid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025
The Philippous’ kinetic style mashes genre cinema with beloved intellectual property, douses the combination with accelerant and lights a match; it’s the product of their personalities as much as YouTube’s milieu.
From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2023
More playful than pedantic, Rashid douses his work in a heavy helping of humor — and with it comes the quiet guilt of catching yourself amused by scenes that are both funny and horrifying.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 27, 2021
Naturally, as well liked and respected around the NFL as Lynn is, being the offensive coordinator of an anemic team quickly douses that speculation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2021
I shake it, and when he pulls away, his mother—her eyes still locked on me—unsnaps a keychain-Purell and vigorously douses Jordan in it, practically giving him an entire hospital bath.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
They doused nearby homes as well, helping save a few.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
The Aztecs had an unexpected passion for flowers, I learned, doused themselves in perfumes, wrote epic poetry and painted colorful frescos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
A series of herring gulls have been found doused in oil in the west of the Isle of Man, prompting concerns from conservationists.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
The “lentils,” as Mars calls them, are then doused in a sugary coating and loaded into huge rotating drums, or pans, to be colored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
At my feet, the city doused its lights in sleep, its buildings blackened, as if for a funeral.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
Even once brought under control, officials have warned it will take weeks or even months of soaking and dousing to prevent the fire from reigniting.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
When not directly dousing the flames, they water the soil and vegetation to prevent future fires from progressing.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Videos of the response show crews dousing the building with water as flames leap through the roof of the market, sending black plumes of smoke into the air.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
On Wednesday, Powell broached the issue when dousing speculation about a leadership vacuum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
Furthermore, it was sparsely given, not the dousing given to hostile objects.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
