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

• 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

On approach, the gull-wing doors open, soft white light bathes the interior, an animation on the steering wheel mimics shifting desert sand, V-series logos light up on interior door caps. —Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2025

The countdown features a floating door bathed in an orange spotlight, surrounded by four glittery squares, each with a padlock at the center. —Hannah Parry anna Commander sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025

Citizens are encouraged to reduce bathing for the greater good. —Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025

This required a 4:30 a.m. wake-up, Hackmann said, to ensure enough time to bathe, dry and brush their cows before the 8 a.m. competition. —Liliana Fannin, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 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