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 of bathe

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

Matute followed up her viral moment with a series of videos detailing her foster journey with the Spanish-speaking pup, including clips of her bathing him, his first time sleeping in her bed, and videos promoting Nacho to any potential adopters. —Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025

Because Io orbits deep within Jupiter’s magnetosphere, it is bathed in intense radiation belts filled with heavy ions and energetic particles. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2025

Their residents bathed infrequently, or in tubs shared by several families. —Jacob Beckert, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025

Inside the museum — transformed under the creative direction of Galician artist Marta Pazos — guests including Rossy de Palma, Amaia, Macarena Achaga, Ángela Molina, Cecilia Suárez, Esmeralda Pimentel and Agustín Della Corte gathered for cocktails bathed in Tous’ signature fuchsia light. —Alex Badia, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 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