soak
Americanverb (used without object)
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soaks,
present (3rd person singular)
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soaked,
past participle, past
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soaking
present participle
-
to lie in and become saturated or permeated with water or some other liquid.
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to pass, as a liquid, through pores, holes, or the like.
The rain soaked through the tear in the umbrella.
- Synonyms:
- seep
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to be thoroughly wet.
Her shoes and socks were soaking and her feet were freezing.
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to penetrate or become known to the mind or feelings (followed byin ).
The lesson didn't soak in.
- Synonyms:
- seep
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Informal. to drink immoderately, especially alcoholic beverages.
They were soaking at the bar.
verb (used with object)
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soaks,
present (3rd person singular)
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soaked,
past participle, past
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soaking
present participle
-
to place or keep in liquid in order to saturate thoroughly; steep.
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to wet thoroughly; saturate or drench.
- Antonyms:
- dry
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to permeate thoroughly, as liquid or moisture does.
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Metallurgy. to heat (a piece) for reworking.
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Informal. to intoxicate (oneself ) by drinking an excess of liquor.
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Slang. to beat hard; punish severely.
I was soaked for that mistake.
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to extract or remove by or as by soaking (often followed byout ).
to soak a stain out of a napkin.
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Slang. to overcharge.
He was soaked by the waiter.
noun
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soaks
plural
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the act or state of soaking or the state of being soaked.
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the liquid in which anything is soaked.
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Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a habitual drinker of alcohol who is frequently intoxicated; a heavy drinker.
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Australian. any small area of land, as near a spring or at the foot of a hill, that becomes swamplike or holds water after a period of heavy rain.
verb phrase
verb
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to make, become, or be thoroughly wet or saturated, esp by immersion in a liquid
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(of a liquid) to penetrate or permeate
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(tr; usually foll by in or up) (of a permeable solid) to take in (a liquid) by absorption
the earth soaks up rainwater
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(tr; foll by out or out of) to remove by immersion in a liquid
she soaked the stains out of the dress
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(tr) metallurgy to heat (a metal) prior to working
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informal to drink excessively or make or become drunk
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slang (tr) to overcharge
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slang (tr) to put in pawn
noun
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the act of immersing in a liquid or the period of immersion
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the liquid in which something may be soaked, esp a solution containing detergent
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another name for soakage
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informal a heavy rainfall
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slang a person who drinks to excess
Synonym Usage
See wet.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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soakernoun
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soakingnoun
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oversoakverb
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resoakverb
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unsoakedadjective
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well-soakedadjective
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soakinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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soaksimple
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soakssimple
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have soakedperfect
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has soakedperfect
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am soakingprogressive
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are soakingprogressive
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is soakingprogressive
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have been soakingperfect progressive
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has been soakingperfect progressive
Past
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soakedsimple
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had soakedperfect
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was soakingprogressive
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were soakingprogressive
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had been soakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of soak
First recorded before 1000; Middle English soken, Old English sōcian; akin to suck
Explanation
To soak something is to submerge it into water. Before you cook dry beans, you soak them overnight first. If you’re not a bean, you can also soak up a cool experience by immersing yourself in it. You can soak your dirty laundry in soapy water, or soak rice before you cook it, and you can also soak in a bubble bath. When you do this, you give these things (including yourself) a soak. Informally, the verb also means "immerse in an activity or experience," like when you soak up the applause after your masterful violin performance.
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:
Companies that grant lots of stock options can be indifferent because they want to soak up those cheaply issued shares.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Downpours from intense summer thunderstorms can fall faster than the water can soak into the ground and, instead, it rushes over the surface, leading to flash flooding.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Then fund the donor-advised fund to soak up the conversion income.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
“It’s such an honor to be able to learn and soak up how she carries herself and, like, what she’s learned from her careers,” Queens outfielder Brittany Apagar said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
She could soak one in the tins of milk Dale left out.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Before running them through the dishwasher, he soaks and scrubs off the most stubborn jams and sauces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
Rain soaks everyone to the skin every day, yet no one remembers an umbrella.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026
That weak carbonic acid ultimately soaks into the soil, full of carbon dioxide.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025
Let it mingle: Let the salad rest for at least 15 minutes at room temp so the bread soaks up all the good stuff.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2025
But the piddle runs down the wall and soaks into the old dirt floor.
From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor
I showed up to the appointment late, soaked, and embarrassed.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
Left behind by their team-mates after the first wave of celebrations, the pair stood side by side, arms outstretched as they soaked in the acclaim from the England supporters who had flocked to Mexico City.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
"It's worse than in India," complained Arockia Rajasekhar, 51, under the blazing sun with his shirt soaked.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Take all of that into the studio, a song like “Young” becomes a reflection of all the stuff you soaked up as a kid.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
With that, Mr. Kellerman takes the soaked rag out of my hand and tosses it in the sink.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
Welsh said staff were "soaking to the skin with sweat working in the restaurant", and he also needed to change his sweat-soaked clothes after eating there.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The AI boom is soaking up a disproportionate share of investment and with bond-market jitters worldwide, longer-term interest rates and residential construction are headed in the wrong direction for now.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The primary suite is one of a kind, featuring a spa-inspired bath, a free-standing soaking tub, a glass-enclosed shower, and a custom floating vanity, all accompanied by a terrace overlooking the garden.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
"We hope that today we can put out the fire in all areas, then carry out soaking so that the fire does not reignite."
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Or they could wander off in search of a cave, in the dark of night, in a wild, soaking storm.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
