soak

[ sohk ]

/ soʊk /

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See synonyms for: soak / soaked / soaking on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to lie in and become saturated or permeated with water or some other liquid.

to pass, as a liquid, through pores, holes, or the like: The rain soaked through the tear in the umbrella.

to be thoroughly wet: Her shoes and socks were soaking and her feet were freezing.

to penetrate or become known to the mind or feelings (followed by in): The lesson didn't soak in.

Informal. to drink immoderately, especially alcoholic beverages: They were soaking at the bar.

verb (used with object)

to place or keep in liquid in order to saturate thoroughly; steep.

to wet thoroughly; saturate or drench.

to permeate thoroughly, as liquid or moisture does.

Metallurgy. to heat (a piece) for reworking.

Informal. to intoxicate (oneself) by drinking an excess of liquor.

Slang. to beat hard; punish severely: I was soaked for that mistake.

to extract or remove by or as by soaking (often followed by out): to soak a stain out of a napkin.

Slang. to overcharge: He was soaked by the waiter.

noun

the act or state of soaking or the state of being soaked.

the liquid in which anything is soaked.

Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a habitual drinker of alcohol who is frequently intoxicated; a heavy drinker.

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 Phrases

soak up,

to absorb or take in or up by absorption: Blotting paper soaks up ink.
to absorb with one's mind or senses; take in: to soak up information.
Slang. to drink to excess: He can really soak up the booze.

OTHER WORDS FOR soak

2, 4 seep.

8 infuse, penetrate.

See synonyms for soak on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR soak

7 dry.

See antonyms for soak on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of soak

First recorded before 1000; Middle English soken, Old English sōcian; akin to suck

synonym study for soak

7. See wet.

OTHER WORDS FROM soak

soak·er, nounsoak·ing·ly, adverbo·ver·soak, verbre·soak, verb

un·soaked, adjectivewell-soaked, adjective

Words nearby soak

snuggle, snugly, Snyder, snye, so, soak, soakage, soakaway, soaked to the skin, soakers, soak up

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use soak in a sentence

Slide your spoonful of cereal on over to your milk for a quick bath or a longer soak, and control your crunch.
These pieces of kitchen gear make excellent gifts|PopSci Commerce Team|October 6, 2020|Popular-Science
This tray can hold anything and everything you might need for a relaxing soak.
Bathtub trays that will keep you entertained and relaxed|PopSci Commerce Team|September 2, 2020|Popular-Science
These are made for a hot tub, but if your bath is big enough they can really liven up a soak, holding whatever beverage you might want to sip while finishing up that new book about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
This Weekend: You’ll Never Bathe the Same Way Again|Joshua Eferighe|August 21, 2020|Ozy
While previous approaches relied on long soaks in the solution to ensure enough CNTs got deposited, the researchers instead carried out a series of 10-second soaks interspersed with drying.
Carbon Nanotube Transistors May Soon Give Waning Moore’s Law a Boost|Edd Gent|June 1, 2020|Singularity Hub

They repeated these cycles of soak-and-release at least 10 times.
Here’s one way to harvest water right out of the air|Sid Perkins|April 24, 2020|Science News For Students
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Soak the cranberries in ¾ cup cranberry juice for 15 minutes.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries|Carla Hall|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They would soak bags of macaroni to make dough, roll it out and create dumplings, which they sold with a side of lo mein.
Tales of a Jailhouse Gourmet: How I learned to Cook in Prison|Daniel Genis|June 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Spring is starting to arrive, and we plan to soak up as much sun as our vitamin-D-deficient bodies can handle.
New York City’s Best New Hotspots This Spring|Sara Sayed, Valeriya Safronova|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It had a festive air last Sunday as residents flooded into the spotlessly clean park to soak up the first rays of spring.
Is Kharkiv Ukraine’s Next Tipping Point?|Vijai Maheshwari|March 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While drinking that eat two bananas and let the peels soak in a glass of water.
Use These 15 Home Remedies Based On Ayurveda To Cure Menstrual Cramps, Hangovers, and Indigestion|Ari Meisel|January 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After this process the rolls are placed in a jar full of clear water and left to soak for three days.
Philippine Mats|Hugo H. Miller
When the segments are quite dry, prepare a jar with clear soft water, and put them in this to soak over night.
Philippine Mats|Hugo H. Miller
The buri leaves remain in the water and soak thus for three days and three nights.
Philippine Mats|Hugo H. Miller
A 5-per-cent solution can be purchased for a few cents at any drug store and will soak a great number of wicks.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
Soak some clean blotting paper in the hyposulphite-of-soda solution and allow it to dry.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for soak

soak

/ (səʊk) /

verb

to make, become, or be thoroughly wet or saturated, esp by immersion in a liquid

(when intr, usually foll by in or into) (of a liquid) to penetrate or permeate

(tr; usually foll by in or up) (of a permeable solid) to take in (a liquid) by absorptionthe earth soaks up rainwater

(tr; foll by out or out of) to remove by immersion in a liquidshe soaked the stains out of the dress

(tr) metallurgy to heat (a metal) prior to working

informal to drink excessively or make or become drunk

(tr) US and Canadian slang to overcharge

(tr) British slang to put in pawn

noun

the act of immersing in a liquid or the period of immersion

the liquid in which something may be soaked, esp a solution containing detergent

another name for soakage (def. 3)

British informal a heavy rainfall

slang a person who drinks to excess

Derived forms of soak

soaker, nounsoaking, noun, adjective

Word Origin for soak

Old English sōcian to cook; see suck

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

soak

OTHER WORDS FOR soak

OPPOSITES FOR soak

Origin of soak

synonym study for soak

OTHER WORDS FROM soak

Words nearby soak

Words related to soak

How to use soak in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for soak

Derived forms of soak

Word Origin for soak