marinate

verb

mar·​i·​nate ˈmer-ə-ˌnāt 

ˈma-rə-

marinated; marinating

transitive verb

: to steep (food such as meat, fish, or vegetables) in a marinade

… fillet of beef, marinated in rice wine with tamarind, cardamom and vegetable pilaf.

—Matthew Fort

The immense variety of salads, marinated vegetables and beans, frittatas and little tarts that appear on Italian antipasto tables and Spanish tapas bars also provide ideas for this approach.

—Susan Jane Cheney

often : to coat or cover (food) with herbs, spices, etc. and let rest before cooking or serving

… a new-fangled brochette of shrimp marinated in spices and skewered with sweet, creamy chunks of date.

—William Grimes

… herb-marinated cashew cheese served with garnishes like olives, honey and dates.

—Florence Fabricant

… had the genius idea to fill a tender crust with thinly sliced lemons marinated in sugar.

—Monica Micahel Willis

intransitive verb

: to become marinated

Have rabbit cleaned and cut into small serving pieces. Place in bowl. Pour burgundy over it. Allow to marinate for 6 hours.

—Maria Lo Pinto

Ceviche, a Peruvian appetizer also popular in the Caribbean and Central America, is prepared by combining bite-size pieces of raw fish with lime or lemon juice and allowing the mixture to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

—Bon Appétit

marination

ˌmer-ə-ˈnā-shən 

ˌma-rə-

noun

Examples of marinate in a Sentence

The recipe says that you should marinate the chicken overnight.

The chicken should be allowed to marinate overnight.

Recent Examples on the Web

But because Rodgers marinated behind Brett Favre, these two made their first starts simultaneously during Week 1 of the 2008 season. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025

This one-of-a-kind chicken is made by marinating tender all-white meat chicken in jalapeño buttermilk flavor, which is then coated in a crispy, crunchy blend of tortilla chip crumbs and breadcrumbs. —Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025

Taco Bell’s crispy chicken is white meat marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and coated in breadcrumbs and tortilla chips. —Helena Wegner, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025

Known as velveting, marinating the steak in cornstarch ensures that the meat stays juicy and tender. —Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 9 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from Italian marinato, past participle of marinare to marinate, from marino

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for marinate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

marinate

verb

mar·​i·​nate ˈmar-ə-ˌnāt 

marinated; marinating

: to soak in a marinade