drench

verb

\ ˈdrench

drenched; drenching; drenches

Definition of drench

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to wet thoroughly (as by soaking or immersing in liquid)

2 : to soak or cover thoroughly with liquid that falls or is precipitated

3 : to fill or cover completely as if by soaking or precipitation was drenched in furs and diamonds— Richard Brautigan

4a : to administer a drench to (an animal)

b archaic : to force to drink

drench

noun

Definition of drench (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a poisonous or medicinal drink specifically : a large dose of medicine mixed with liquid and put down the throat of an animal

2a : something that drenches

b : a quantity sufficient to drench or saturate

Other Words from drench Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about drench

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Choose the Right Synonym for drench

Verb

soak, saturate, drench, steep, impregnate mean to permeate or be permeated with a liquid. soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing. soak the garment in soapy water saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held. a saturated sponge drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured. clothes drenched by a cloudburst steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (such as a color) to the thing immersed. steep the tea for five minutes impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another. a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

Examples of drench in a Sentence

Verb

we were drenched by the sudden rainstorm when using the carpet shampooer, wet but do not drench the carpet

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

All of the venues were indoors, so getting drenched was not an issue. — George Varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Miles Davis and John Coltrane's 'Final Tour' live box set a fascinating musical clash of the titans," 19 Apr. 2018 Wayne Coyne and company drenched the audience in an ocean of multicolored confetti while smoke machines spat artificial clouds into the air. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Best and worst of Summerfest Day 9: Janelle Monáe, Flaming Lips, BØRNS, Judah & the Lion and more," 7 July 2018 The Miracle of Bern’ drenched the dreams of a Hungary side that had monsooned West Germany 8-3 in the group stage. — SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 16 Weeks to Go - The Prisoner of War & World Cup Winner, Fritz Walter," 4 Mar. 2018 Minutes later, he was found on the ground, his shirt drenched in blood. — Fabiola Sanchez, The Seattle Times, "Deadly crackdown stokes fear among protesters in Venezuela," 20 Feb. 2019 The brioche French toast is also great, coming drenched in a cardamom anglaise cream. — Antonio Basada, Condé Nast Traveler, "Best Brunch in Chicago," 3 Mar. 2018 Media view only the last few minutes of a Charlotte Hornets predraft workout, which usually means kids taking some free throws while drenched in sweat. — Rick Bonnell And Brendan Marks, charlotteobserver, "Charlotte Hornets | NBA's best rookie thought he'd be Hornet | Charlotte Observer," 12 Jan. 2018 In Cork, despite a drenching rain, 40 games went off without a hitch, while most of the Kerry matches were rained out entirely. — Charles P. Pierce, SI.com, "Trump Has Made the NFL His Punching Bag. The League’s Best Response Is Defiance," 9 July 2018 Regardless of its wind speed or classification, drenching rain will be the main threat from Alberto over much of the southeastern U.S. The heaviest rain, which is predicted to fall along the Gulf Coast of Florida, could lead to flash flooding. — Editors, USA TODAY, "'Poppy Memorial,' Danica Patrick, NBA playoffs: 5 things to know this weekend," 26 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The third choice is to use a liquid spray or drench to kill the plant. — Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, "Here’s what’s eating your currant bushes and ‘spitting’ on your wild roses," 13 July 2018 That’s the point of this ancient and joyous Armenian custom: to get drenched and, in turn, drench as many people as possible. — Cristela Guerra, BostonGlobe.com, "Ancient Armenian water celebration comes to Watertown," 9 July 2018 To keep crape myrtle scale under control apply Imidacloprid systemic insecticide as a soil drench in mid-to-late May (or now). — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, "The crape myrtle: Facts on the finest flowering shrub in the south," 21 June 2018 Rain is forecast from dawn until dusk in London on the biggest street party day, Sunday, almost certainly resulting in a quintessentially British drench-fest. — Graham Smith, Time, "Harry and Meghan's Wedding Is a Reminder That Britain Doesn't Need the Royals," 18 May 2018 More watery fun can be found just steps away at Splashaway Bay, a kiddie aqua park with smaller slides, water cannons, a multi-platform jungle gym and a gigantic drench bucket. — Gene Sloan, USA TODAY, "Five things to love about Royal Caribbean's new Symphony of the Seas," 4 Apr. 2018 More than 212,000 people have fled fighting around Idlib in the past month, many of them sleeping in the open as temperatures plunge and rain drenches makeshift campsites, according to the United Nations. — Washington Post, "Turkey launches airstrikes in Syria against U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters," 21 Jan. 2018 By Monday, though, the fire hose could swing south and drench communities north of Seattle, according to the National Weather Service. — Sandi Doughton, The Seattle Times, "Sick of rain? Sorry, there’s more in the pipeline," 27 Jan. 2018 Use a drench of Banrot, Aliette or Subdue fungicides to ward off root rot; drench valuable palms. — miamiherald, "Trees downed? Shrubs scattered? How to make your garden bloom after the storm," 12 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drench.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.