drench

1 of 2

verb

ˈdrench 

drenched; drenching; drenches

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

4

a

: to administer a drench to (an animal)

b

archaic : to force to drink

drencher noun

drench

2 of 2

noun

1

: a poisonous or medicinal drink

specifically : a large dose of medicine mixed with liquid and put down the throat of an animal

2

a

: something that drenches

b

: a quantity sufficient to drench or saturate

Synonyms

Verb

• wet
• drown
• wash
• flood
• soak

Choose the Right Synonym for drench

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

That said, not everyone should drench their skin in the unsuspecting reverse aging agent. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 20 June 2025

Boiling Water Some gardeners drench the plant with boiling water, a method that is usually not effective in killing the entire plant. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 17 June 2025

Noun

However, fish emulsion excels as a fertilizer when it is used correctly in the following ways: The most common way to use fish emulsion is as a soil drench. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2025

Mix 1/2 cup of molasses per gallon of water and use as a soil drench about one month before planting seeds or seedlings. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English drencan; akin to Old English drincan to drink

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for drench

• clench
• quench
• stench
• tench
• trench
• wench
• wrench
• entrench
• retrench
• workbench

Kids Definition

drench

verb

ˈdrench

: to wet thoroughly

Medical Definition

drench

1 of 2 noun

ˈdrench 

: a poisonous or medicinal drink

specifically : a large dose of medicine mixed with liquid and put down the throat of an animal

drench

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to administer a drench to (an animal)