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

The words against Admiral Ratsiraka’s dictatorship that had lasted too long, from 1975 until 1991, the words that were bathed in blood in the Iavoloha rice fields on August 10, 1991, when the dictator gave the order to fire on the crowd of protesters. —Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2025

Even long-standing legends say Cleopatra famously bathed in milk water to soften her skin into more of a baby’s face. —Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025

Walls of glass and soaring ceilings let the Florida sun bathe the house’s common areas in natural light, while four bedrooms—including two primary suites—give everyone space to stretch out. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Oct. 2025

While locations like a solar panel farm in the Australian outback fit the bill for near-future ground war, the result mostly feels sterile, amounting to a bunch of empty pathways bathed in stark daylight. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 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