soak

1 of 2

verb

ˈsōk 

soaked; soaking; soaks

intransitive verb

1

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

2

a

: 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

4

a

: 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

soaker noun

soak

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: 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

Synonyms

Verb

• saturate
• drown
• drench
• macerate
• immerse
• impregnate
• steep
• wash
• submerge
• dip

Noun

• alcoholic
• drunk
• soaker

Choose the Right Synonym for soak

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

Nicholas trips over a bramble, falls to his hands and knees in the soaking grass. —David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

The August rains that soaked much of the Milwaukee area changed that. —La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025

Noun

Visit the stunning wood-and-glass Thorncrown Chapel, marvel at the seven-story-tall Christ of the Ozarks, and indulge in a traditional mineral soak at the Palace Hotel & Bath House, the town’s last original bathhouse, dating back to about 1901. —AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025

The system keeps the soak at a perfect 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38°C) – the ideal warmth for relaxation – and slightly lowers the temperature during the rinse cycle for a gentle refresh. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English soken, from Old English socian; akin to Old English sūcan to suck

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing soak

• soak in
• soak up
• water-soak

Rhymes for soak

• bloke
• boeck
• broke
• choke
• cloak
• cloke
• croak
• folk
• hoke
• joke
• moke
• oak

Kids Definition

soak

1 of 2 verb

ˈsōk 

1

a

: to lie covered with a liquid

b

: to place in a liquid to wet or as if to wet thoroughly

2

a

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

b

: to penetrate or affect the mind or feelings

3

: to draw out by or as if by steeping

soak the dirt out

4

: to draw in by or as if by suction or absorption

soaked up the sunshine

5

: to cause to pay too much

soaker noun

soak

2 of 2 noun

1

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

2

: drunkard

Medical Definition

soak

noun

ˈsōk 

: 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