soap

1 of 2

noun

ˈsōp 

1

a

: a cleansing and emulsifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts of such acids

b

: a salt of a fatty acid and a metal

2

: soap opera

soap

2 of 2

verb

soaped; soaping; soaps

transitive verb

1

: to rub soap over or into

2

: flatter

Synonyms of soap

Noun

• cleaner
• detergent
• shampoo

Examples of soap in a Sentence

Noun

Make sure you use soap and water to wash your hands.

The store sells many different brands of liquid soaps.

Her first acting job was on a soap.

Verb

I soap my hair first when I take a shower.

He soaped and rinsed the car.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

So Oliver threw his hat in the ring to get involved in a soap. — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 2 July 2026

There were ten of us, with several large sacks of nonperishable items—canned fish, soap, bottled water—along with more than six hundred arepas that the villagers had cooked the night before. — Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 30 June 2026

Verb

Trust us—you’ve never been scrubbed and soaped up so clean in your life. — Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

There’s also no need to soap yourself up twice in one day, my cousin reminds me. — Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 21 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sope, from Old English sāpe; akin to Old High German seifa soap

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing soap

• bar soap
• castile soap
• green soap
• saddle soap
• soap bubble
• soap opera
• soap plant
• soap powder
• soft-soap
• toilet soap

Rhymes for soap

• cope
• dope
• grope
• lope
• mope
• nope
• rope
• scope
• shope
• slope
• stope
• swope

Kids Definition

soap

1 of 2 noun

ˈsōp 

1

: a substance that is usually made by the action of alkali on fat, dissolves in water, and is used for washing

2

: a salt of a fatty acid

3

: soap opera

soap

2 of 2 verb

: to rub soap over or into

Medical Definition

soap

noun

ˈsōp 

1

: a cleansing and emulsifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts of such acids

2

: a salt of a fatty acid and a metal