soak

verb

\ ˈsōk

soaked; soaking; soaks

Definition of soak

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to lie immersed in liquid (such as water) : become saturated by or as if by immersion

2a : to enter or pass through something by or as if by pores or interstices : permeate

b : to penetrate or affect the mind or feelings —usually used with in or into

3 : to drink alcoholic beverages intemperately

transitive verb

1 : to permeate so as to wet, soften, or fill thoroughly

2 : to place in a surrounding element (such as liquid) to wet or permeate thoroughly

3 : to extract by or as if by steeping soak the dirt out

4a : to draw or take in by or as if by suction or absorption soaked up the sunshine

b : to intoxicate (oneself) by drinking alcoholic beverages

5 : to cause to pay an exorbitant amount

soak

noun

Definition of soak (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : the act or process of soaking : the state of being soaked

b : the liquid in which something is soaked

2 : drunkard

3 slang : pawn entry 2 sense 2

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

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for soak

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 soak in a Sentence

Verb

You should soak those dirty clothes before you wash them. The beans soaked in water overnight. He relaxed and soaked in the tub. After planting the seeds, soak the soil. She soaked the dog with the hose. His shirt was soaked with sweat. I was soaked by the rain. The oil soaked into the wood. Sweat soaked through his shirt. Rain soaked through her jacket.

Noun

I had a long, hot soak in the tub. felt sorry for the town soak, who couldn't hold a job

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

When you’re done soaking up the view, feel free to take a soak in the hot tub room located on the lower level, or maybe stroll on over to the barn which doubles as a garage and a potting shed. — Alex Bazeley, Curbed, "1790 country house blending modern and rustic charm asks $800K," 16 July 2018 For robin's egg blue, let the eggs soak for 30 minutes. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "How to Make Your Own Natural Easter Egg Dyes with Everyday Ingredients," 7 Mar. 2019 Follow the instructions prior to soaking or washing and your red wine stains will disappear. — Elle Decor Editors, ELLE Decor, "Everything You Need to Know About Caring for Tabletop Accessories," 11 Feb. 2019 Plant roots need air to survive, and too deep a layer can suffocate roots and cause water to shed off the top of mulch instead of filtering through and soaking into the soil below. — Arricca Sansone, Country Living, "How Much Mulch Do I Need? Here's the Easiest Way to Find Out," 6 Feb. 2019 Rather than squeezing, soak a cotton swab in benzoyl peroxide and dab it on the zit. — Janell M. Hickman, Seventeen, "5 Life-Changing Skincare Tricks Women of Color Need To Know," 4 Feb. 2019 It's sprawled across the East Coast, soaking New England and the mid-Atlantic—just in time for the busiest travel day of the holiday period: Friday, December 21. — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Winter Storm Is Probably Going to Mess Up Your Holiday Travel," 21 Dec. 2018 Turn up the dial post-shampoo and pre-mask and relax, letting hair soak up as much of the good stuff as possible. — Leah Melby Clinton, Marie Claire, "Color Your Hair? Four Things You Should Never Do in the Shower," 16 Nov. 2018 Republicans, facing an electoral tsunami that year, basically threw in the towel and let Lieberman soak up conservative votes. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Ned Lamont elected governor of Connecticut," 7 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

My weekend experiment resulted in a perfectly shiny manicure that looked anything but fake, yet came off instantly with a two-minute soak in warm water on Sunday evening. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "The 5-Minute Manicure That Counts Fans From Jennifer Lopez to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez," 29 Mar. 2019 The user sits upright in the tub for a deep soak (like a hot tub) and can watch TV or have a beverage while soaking. — Ed Del Grande, The Seattle Times, "Explore the depths of comfort with a cube tub," 19 Feb. 2019 After a walk on one of the most beautiful beaches in Canada, enjoy a hot soak in an oversized tub with aromatherapy bath salts. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Islands in the World: 2018 Readers' Choice Awards," 9 Oct. 2018 The pasture that ran up to the two-lane highway was likewise getting a good soak from large sprinklers on rebar tripods. — Smith Henderson, Popular Mechanics, "You Could Live Here Alone Forever," 11 Jan. 2017 Anyone who doubts this should remember another soak-the-rich scheme, the luxury tax of the George H.W. Bush presidency. — WSJ, "Soaking the Rich, Sinking the Yacht Builders," 11 Feb. 2019 Round out the day with a relaxing soak in the Elkhorn Hot Springs nearby. — Todd Plummer, Vogue, "Bozeman, Butte, Big Sky, and Back: The Ultimate Southwest Montana Road Trip," 31 Aug. 2018 A half-hour soak is also a weekly tradition for Zina Sejdic. — Terri Akman, Philly.com, "Everyone is doing it: Indulgent baths now the antidote to a packed schedule," 5 Apr. 2018 The film became more than a form of catharsis but actual rejuvenation, the kind people typically receive from exercise, face masks, or a long soak in the tub. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Spending $100 to See A Star Is Born 8 Times Is My Self-Care," 11 Jan. 2019

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about soak

Dictionary Entries near soak

Statistics for soak

Last Updated

12 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for soak

The first known use of soak was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for soak

soak

verb

English Language Learners Definition of soak

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to put (something) in a liquid for a period of time

: to take a long bath

: to make (someone or something) very wet with water or another liquid

soak

noun

English Language Learners Definition of soak (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act of letting something stay in a liquid for a long time in order to soften or clean it

informal : a long bath

See the full definition for soak in the English Language Learners Dictionary

soak

verb

\ ˈsōk

soaked; soaking

Kids Definition of soak

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to lie covered with liquid He soaked in the tub.

2 : to place in a liquid to wet or as if to wet thoroughly Soak the beans in water.

3 : to make very wet The rain soaked us.

4 : to enter or pass through something by or as if by tiny holes : permeate The water soaked into the ground.

5 : to draw in by or as if by absorption The rag soaked up the spill. She soaked up the sunshine.

soak

noun

Kids Definition of soak (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act or process of letting something stay in a liquid for a long time to soften or clean it

2 : a long bath

soak

noun

\ ˈsōk

Medical Definition of soak

: an often hot medicated solution with which a body part is soaked usually long or repeatedly especially to promote healing, relieve pain, or stimulate local circulation