bathe

1 of 2

verb

ˈbāt͟h 

bathed; bathing

transitive verb

1

: moisten, wet

2

: to wash in a liquid (such as water)

3

: to apply water or a liquid medicament to

4

: to flow along the edge of : lave

5

: to suffuse with or as if with light

intransitive verb

1

: to take a bath

2

: to go swimming

3

: to become immersed or absorbed

bather

ˈbā-t͟hər 

noun

bathe

2 of 2

noun

1

British : bath entry 1 sense 1

2

British : swim, dip

Synonyms

Verb

• lap
• lave
• lip
• splash
• wash

Examples of bathe in a Sentence

Verb

the cool waters of the North Atlantic bathe the island's shores

bathe your contact lens with the solution before inserting them

Noun

We went for a bathe in the sea.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Crate & Barrel Live Hydrangea Berry Wreath $199 Crate & Barrel Homes bathed in neutral hues can benefit from a textured wreath like this one from Crate & Barrel. —Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 20 May 2025

Speaking of color, the model in our walkaround, the top trim level, Autograph, was bathed in deep emerald green, one of 10 shades available for the refreshed QX60. —Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025

The 2,800-square-foot interior echoes his Paris boutique, bathed in Valli’s signature soft pink, perfectly coordinated with blooms of hydrangeas in the same shade. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 15 May 2025

There’s a comfy couch and big screen TV bathed in low light, and a quiet room to maybe close their eyes for a few minutes. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English bathian; akin to Old English bæth bath

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bathe

• lathe

Kids Definition

bathe

verb

ˈbāt͟h

bathed; bathing

1

: to take a bath

2

: to go swimming

3

: to give a bath to

bathe the baby

4

: to apply a liquid to

bathe the eyes

5

: to cover with or as if with a liquid

a scene bathed in moonlight

bather

ˈbā-t͟hər

noun

Medical Definition

bathe

1 of 2 verb

ˈbāt͟h 

bathed; bathing

transitive verb

1

: to wash in a liquid (as water)

2

: to apply water or a liquid medicament to

bathe the eye with warm water

intransitive verb

: to take a bath

bathe

2 of 2 noun

British

: the act or action of bathing : bath