BATHING Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

bathing

verb

present participle of bathe

as in washing

to flow along or against the cool waters of the North Atlantic bathe the island's shores

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in wetting

to make wet bathe your contact lens with the solution before inserting them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in illumining

to supply with light the walls of the canyon were bathed with the warm rays of the setting sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bathing Like most Korean spas, Spa Hyu offers hot and cold pools for bathing in the buff, with separate men’s and women’s soaking areas. — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 Much has once again been made of that famous 2007 photoshoot in which Messi was pictured bathing a young child, which turned out to be Yamal. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026 There’s Lionel Messi, cradling and bathing a five-month-old baby in a 2007 photo shoot, right around when Messi, then 20, was emerging as a star for Barcelona. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026 The photos show Messi, now 39, carefully bathing the future Spain standout during the shoot. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 However, many parents find that bathing their baby right before bed helps establish a routine and creates a soothing and calming atmosphere for bedtime. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 July 2026 Then comes another character, Bernard, also young and who, while bathing one day, swims into a girl called Huguette. — André Aciman, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026 Providing clean water for bathing in sheltered, clean bird baths. — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026 Wiping down shower walls after bathing, repairing dripping faucets, and allowing sinks and tubs to dry between uses can all make a noticeable difference. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 9 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bathing

Verb

As the risk of infection continues, Connecticut residents are urged to continue washing all produce in running water, scrubbing firm fruits and, to be safest, cooking produce to 158 degrees.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
Employees also moved from one work station to the next without washing hands and changing gloves.

— Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026

Definition of washing

Verb

The mountain thunderstorms are expected to continue Monday and Tuesday but should be accompanied by wetting rains that dampen fire risk, with about a tenth of an inch of precipitation, Molina said.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Water in the morning deeply at the base of the plant using a soaker hose, avoiding wetting the leaves to prevent fungal diseases.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 July 2026

Definition of wetting

Verb

All rights reserved Skywatchers across northern Europe are once again reporting spectacular noctilucent cloud displays, with brilliant electric-blue formations illuminating the late-night sky as one of the season's celestial highlights.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
In an Atlantic essay, Wight recalled finding a mechanic reading Thucydides on the grimy floor of his shop, a bare bulb illuminating his page.

— Elias Wachtel, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026

Definition of illuminating

Verb

Onlookers watched the storm surge at the Lake Pontchartrain estuary, with kids splashing in the floodwaters as Bertha approached the Louisiana Coast.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
To avoid this, water your plants in the morning and direct water to the soil line to keep it from splashing up on your plant’s leaves.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 19 July 2026

Definition of splashing

Verb

Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1 through 4, and in kids ages 5 through 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after vehicle crashes.

— Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
For a generation drowning in student debt, this is a substantial structural fix.

— Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of drowning

Verb

After lighting the fire, Arrabaca also pulled out an airsoft rifle — a device commonly used in sports and recreation resembling a gun, but fires less lethal projectiles rather than bullets — and fired five to seven pellets, officials said.

— Brynn Gingras, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Howell considers lighting one of the most important and underutilized layers.

— Oset Babür-Winter, Architectural Digest, 17 July 2026

Definition of lighting

Verb

At some point in the mid-1850s, the river Padma suddenly carved a new path through the village of his ancestors in modern-day Bangladesh, flooding their homes and scattering them across the Indian subcontinent.

— Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
Trump weaponized that hostility, emphasizing a narrative of Maduro flooding American streets with fentanyl and mentally ill criminals.

— Rafael Osío Cabrices, Time, 20 July 2026

Definition of flooding

Verb

Air molecules reflect and scatter light beyond an immediate beam, which is why the sky starts brightening at dawn even before the sun climbs above the horizon.

— Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 July 2026
Detroit has also allowed a league-high 153 points through three weeks, further brightening Crawford’s outlook.

— Juan Carlos Blanco, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026