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

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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

Upstairs, the home is divided into two wings, one of which is dedicated to a master suite, with tray ceilings, private den and en-suite bath with soaking tub. — Shannon Rooney, https://www.inquirer.com, "On the market: A Chester County house surrounded by countryside," 5 June 2019 Spend a late night soaking or floating under the desert stars. — Stepfanie Romine, USA TODAY, "7 reasons why the summer season is the best time to visit Palm Springs," 4 June 2019 The wood has been treated with a special TPU soaking process to reinforce the wood grain, which measures less than 1mm thick. — Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld, "The HP Envy Wood Series puts real walnut or birch in five stylish laptops," 28 May 2019 The automaker is also retreating from sedans and hatchbacks and soaking $11 billion into electric and self-driving cars. — Clifford Atiyeh, Car and Driver, "Ford Announces Layoffs, Will Cut 7000 Global White-Collar Jobs," 20 May 2019 The number is the lowest in at least 10 years of record-keeping and is attributable in part, officials say, to soaking rains finally... — Jim Carlton, WSJ, "California Could See Fewer Wildfires Thanks to Wet Winter," 8 Apr. 2019 He was reportedly found on the ground near the trunk of his car, with blood soaked across the interior. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Texas Man Dies After Exploding E-Cigarette Sends Shrapnel into His Neck," 5 Feb. 2019 The latest weather forecasts indicate most of the U.S. will get drenched with cold rain this weekend, with downpours expected to soak the East, South, and parts of the Midwest and Southwest on Sunday. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "The Weather Forecast for Mother's Day Weekend Isn't Looking Good," 10 May 2019 This way, bees get to soak in the morning sun (which gets them up and moving) and then cool down with a bit of shade later in the afternoon. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "Beekeeping for Beginners: Everything to Know About Starting Your Own Colony," 5 Apr. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

9 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for soak

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

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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