quench

verb

ˈkwench 

quenched; quenching; quenches

transitive verb

1

a

: put out, extinguish

b

: to put out the light or fire of

quench glowing coals with water

c

: to cool (something, such as heated metal) suddenly by immersion (as in oil or water)

d

: to cause to lose heat or warmth

… you have quenched the warmth of France toward you …

—Alfred Tennyson

2

a

: to bring (something immaterial) to an end typically by satisfying, damping, cooling, or decreasing

… a rational understanding of the laws of nature can quench impossible desires …

—Lucius Garvin

the praise that quenches all desire to read the book

—T. S. Eliot

b

: to terminate by or as if by destroying : eliminate

The Commonwealth party quenched a whole generation of play-acting …

—Margery Bailey

quench a rebellion

c

: to relieve or satisfy with liquid

quenched his thirst at a wayside spring

intransitive verb

1

: to become extinguished : cool

2

: to become calm : subside

quenchable

ˈkwen-chə-bəl 

adjective

quencher noun

quenchless

ˈkwench-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms of quench

• extinguish

Examples of quench in a Sentence

we thoroughly quenched the campfire before we headed to bed

this lemonade really quenches my thirst

Recent Examples on the Web

In all the time since, the water flowed through that line under the many incarnations of the Sunset Strip, feeding smaller pipes that quenched a growing metropolis that expanded from about 500,000 people to 4 million. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026

The rainfall in southern Virginia and North Carolina is needed to help quench drought conditions there, but too much rain repeating over the same areas over hours or days could quickly trigger dangerous flash flooding. — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

Keeping water with you at all times is a given, but many Floridians reach for more than just H2O to quench their thirst. — Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 14 July 2026

The uncomplicated sweetness of blackberries creates a flavorful base for a shrub, the tart, thirst-quenching non-alcoholic beverage. — Anna Kovel, Martha Stewart, 10 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English -cwencan; akin to Old English -cwincan to vanish, Old Frisian quinka

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing quench

• quench one's/someone's thirst

Rhymes for quench

• clench
• drench
• stench
• tench
• trench
• wench
• wrench
• entrench
• retrench
• workbench

Kids Definition

quench

verb

ˈkwench 

1

: extinguish sense 1

quench a fire

2

: to bring to an end

3

: satisfy sense 2b

quench your thirst

quenchable

ˈkwen-chə-bəl 

adjective

quencher noun