DRENCH Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'drench' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of drench are impregnate , saturate , soak , and steep . While all these words mean "to permeate or be permeated with a liquid," drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured. // clothes drenched by a cloudburst

Q: In what contexts can 'impregnate' take the place of 'drench'?

The words impregnate and drench can be used in similar contexts, but impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another. // a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

Q: When might 'saturate' be a better fit than 'drench'?

The words saturate and drench are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held. // a saturated sponge

Q: When could 'soak' be used to replace 'drench'?

While in some cases nearly identical to drench , soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing. // soak the garment in soapy water

Q: When would 'steep' be a good substitute for 'drench'?

The meanings of steep and drench largely overlap; however, 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

drench

verb

ˈdrench

Definition of drench

as in to wet

to make wet we were drenched by the sudden rainstorm

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to soak

to wet thoroughly with liquid when using the carpet shampooer, wet but do not drench the carpet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word drench different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of drench are impregnate, saturate, soak, and steep. While all these words mean "to permeate or be permeated with a liquid," drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

In what contexts can impregnate take the place of drench?

The words impregnate and drench can be used in similar contexts, but impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

When might saturate be a better fit than drench?

The words saturate and drench are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

When could soak be used to replace drench?

While in some cases nearly identical to drench, soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

When would steep be a good substitute for drench?

The meanings of steep and drench largely overlap; however, 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

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 drench The breakfast buffet is a must to gain the energy to hike the trails through drenching spray later. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Tiny and blond with rounded, cherubic features, Pugh’s Cathy lands at their doorstep one night like an angel that crashed to the earth, her skull cracked and her dress drenched in blood. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026 Formerly a hurricane, the storm drenched parts of Hawaii’s Big Island over the weekend. — Mead Gruver, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026 Nolo drenched communities in south and southeastern parts of Hawaii's Big Island over the weekend. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drench

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drench

Verb

Crumble up and wet a small piece, then gently rub it over spots and stains.

— Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 13 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of wet

Verb

Establishing the run — and stopping it — could decide the winner on a playing surface soaked from rain during the days leading up to UF’s homecoming.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Last winter destroyed thousands of tents in Gaza, soaking clothes, mattresses, and bedding, even as Save the Children reported that Israel was blocking critical aid such as tent poles, winter clothes, and blankets.

— Mosab Abu Toha, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of soak

Verb

Workers and employers are drowning in their health insurance premiums.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
And three, sometimes four, of those many waking hours are spent in the car — bouncing from home to school to her second or third job and home again — with music at full blast to drown out the babble of anxiety, most of it financial.

— Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of drown

Verb

Using sine wave generators and pink lighting so saturated it essentially blots out all other color and shadow, Young and Zazeela created a space that’s somehow both static and full of life.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
By many accounts, Glass is a friendly, obliging collaborator, and his music—fruitfully self-effacing, rarely complex enough to saturate or overwhelm the listener’s attention—behaves the same way.

— Matthew Aucoin, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of saturate

Verb

How many Japanese women wash their face and hands in the morning with coconut soap?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Anyone who comes into contact with the bait’s liquid vaccine should thoroughly wash their hands using soap and water, then call the phone number listed on the bait or their local health department for further instructions and referral.

— Eva Flowe October 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of wash

Verb

Its most recent seasons took a decidedly anti-Trump turn, featuring a caricature of the president impregnating Satan.

— David K. Li, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
However, following reports that Jagger impregnated Brazilian model Luciana Morad, Hall went to file for divorce only to find out their nuptials were never legally binding.

— Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026

Definition of impregnate

Verb

Nowhere was that fact clearer than after each concert in the casino where rivers of black Metallica T-shirts flooded the pit.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026
But suddenly everything will change, and clouds will come in, and in 10 to 15 minutes, rain will start and flood everywhere.

— William Earl, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of flood

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“Drench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drench. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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