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

bather

2 of 2

noun

bath·​er ˈbā-t͟hər 

plural -s

1

: one that bathes

2

British : swimmer

3

Australia : a bathing suit

—usually used in plural

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

There, dressed in aloha shirts and bathed in a tropical sun, Briscoe could again call a Pacific island home. —ABC News, 10 June 2026

Every day revolves around medications, feedings, therapies, appointments, bathing, dressing and monitoring their health. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026

That legacy includes crushing both hyperinflation and the Maoist insurgents of the Shining Path, who bathed Peru in blood in the 1980s and 1990s. —Simeon Tegel, NPR, 6 June 2026

The best way to do this with a fur baby is to regularly brush and bathe them with the right tools. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 5 June 2026

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

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