slake
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to allay (thirst, desire, wrath, etc.) by satisfying.
-
to cool or refresh.
He slaked his lips with ice.
-
to make less active, vigorous, intense, etc..
His calm manner slaked their enthusiasm.
-
to cause disintegration of (lime) by treatment with water.
-
to moisten; wet.
To thicken the sauce, add a tablespoon of cornstarch slaked with a little cold water.
-
Obsolete. to make loose or less tense; slacken.
verb (used without object)
-
(of lime) to become slaked.
-
Archaic. to become less active, intense, vigorous, etc.; abate.
verb
-
literary (tr) to satisfy (thirst, desire, etc)
-
poetic (tr) to cool or refresh
-
Also: slack. to undergo or cause to undergo the process in which lime reacts with water or moist air to produce calcium hydroxide
-
archaic to make or become less active or intense
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of slake
First recorded before 1000; Middle English slaken, slakken, slake “to loosen, lessen, mitigate, allay, moderate,” Old English slacian, slæcian, sleacian “to slacken, lessen one's efforts,” equivalent to slæc “inactive, careless, languid” + -ian causative verb suffix; see origin at slack 1
Explanation
When you slake something, such as a desire or a thirst, you satisfy it. A big glass of lemonade on a hot summer day will slake your thirst. The word slake traces back to the Old English word slacian, meaning to “become less eager.” If you slake something, like thirst, you become less eager to drink. In other words, you are less thirsty. Like satisfy and quench, close relatives of slake in meaning, the word is used to indicate that a craving is made less intense by getting whatever it is that you crave.
Vocabulary lists containing slake
A Culinary Vocabulary Sampler
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!
A Tale of Two Cities
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!
Bless Me, Ultima
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.
Done with the workweek, they are eager to slake their thirst.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2025
Thousands of Tacomans, joined by rail fans from miles around, will slake their curiosity this weekend by exploring Sound Transit’s new Tacoma Link Hilltop Extension.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 15, 2023
For what would have been the price of a ticket to the movies, customers also got bottomless soda refills to help slake what many expected would be a vengeful thirst from eating all that popcorn.
From Reuters • Nov. 28, 2022
That left me to slake my pie lust whenever one turned up at church potlucks or extended family gatherings.
From Salon • Nov. 22, 2022
The fierce beast had made a kill; her jaws were bloody and she was coming to slake her thirst in the spring.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
