doused 1 of 3

adjective

variants also dowsed
as in dripping
containing, covered with, or thoroughly penetrated by water shook the water out of her thoroughly doused hair

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doused

2 of 3

verb (1)

past tense of douse
as in removed
to rid oneself of (a garment) in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

doused

3 of 3

verb (2)

variants also dowsed
past tense of douse
1
as in extinguished
to cause to cease burning douse the campfire before leaving in the morning

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drowned
to make wet the heavy rains thoroughly doused the tourists strolling the town streets

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dipped
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid douse the grapes in water to remove any grit

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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 doused
Verb
Nobody loves bug bites, or the scent of being doused in bug spray. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 Canadian researchers curtained off two halves of a lake during the late 1960s and doused each with different fertilizers. — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 Other videos show heavy flames as firefighters doused the blaze from outside. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026 Fireworks should also never be lit on windy days, and doused until fully extinguished. — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 Matt Glazer, general manager of Deetjen’s, said the hotel fed and housed dozens of firefighters, who cut lines to save the hotel then doused its buildings with water. — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 But the Buckeyes failed their final two tests, then had to watch as Big Ten champ Indiana was doused in confetti. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 The wings, doused in Buffalo sauce and wrapped in tin foil, also come with tortillas. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 And while many versions of orange chicken come doused in a thick, syrupy (and often cloying) sauce, Chiko’s lighter version is made from an orange juice reduction that’s thoughtfully served on the side to prevent soggy takeout orders. — Warren Rojas, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doused
  1. dripping
  2. removed
  3. extinguished
  4. drowned
  5. dipped
  6. saturated
  7. wet
  8. immersed
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, the mountain valleys pour their thread-like streams of white water onto the bare earth surfaced by smaller landslides in recent years, leaving it dripping and fresh.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Gomez mirrored the monochrome theme in an autumnal ensemble dripping in shades of brown.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of dripping
Verb
  • His lone interception was the only blemish before the Longhorns removed him with a 42-7 third-quarter lead.
    — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Crews first removed the suspension system from an underground launch facility earlier this year.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of removed
Verb
  • Newcastle can now extract far more money from any potential suitors and will be more confident of keeping hold of Hall now, though the prospect of the England defender leaving has not been entirely extinguished.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Passengers and flight attendants tackled him and extinguished the fire as the plane made an emergency landing.
    — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of extinguished
Verb
  • According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, 34 people had already drowned on Lake Michigan on this day last year.
    — Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Most recently, a Georgia grandmother was charged with involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children in the second degree on July 15 after her 2-year-old grandson drowned at an apartment complex pool, according to Fulton County jail records.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of drowned
Verb
  • Temperatures dipped to near 70 degrees in the morning, and noon temperatures should be in the mid-70s.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Bell transferred to Lee County, and Westover dipped to 6-4 last season.
    — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of dipped
Adjective
  • But the saturated bottom, 50% carbon, is the consistency of axle grease.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Today’s media landscape has become far more saturated and polarized, as well as faster paced, in the decades since Grossman was a reporter.
    — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of saturated
Verb
  • Havenith said deliberately wetting clothing can provide evaporative cooling, including for older adults who may not sweat as effectively.
    — Aya Diab, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For best results, water deeply at the base of the plant, allowing moisture to soak into the root zone rather than wetting the foliage, says Kelly Funk, president and CEO of Jackson & Perkins.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of wet
Verb
  • For the past eight months, Michigan players have been immersed in The Whittingham Way.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Her brand Bugatchi is celebrating its 45th anniversary and has more than 1,000 retail customers, a solid design and research team, and a robust shop-in-shop program, plus two of her sons are immersed in the business.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of immersed

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Cite this Entry

“Doused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doused. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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