drench

Synonym Chooser

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 Come on — a finale that ends with big romantic swings and an OR floor drenched in blood? Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025 Each pad, though, is drenched in a cocktail of red wine extract, lactic acid, resveratrol, raspberry extract, and hyaluronic acid for topical treatments, too. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025 The lower level features luxurious amenities, including a gym and sauna, a movie theater drenched in black paint, a catering kitchen, and a wine cellar. India Roby, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025 Cam’s leg, by the way, was now fantastically slippery, because it was drenched in olive oil. Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drench
Verb
  • To help keep leaves, whole or chopped, in place during high winds or flooding rains, wet them down with a hose.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
  • But the comedy is absolutely something that wets my beak, I'm drawn to it.
    H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Larger suites come with expansive bathrooms featuring standalone tubs (stocked with plenty of fragrant lotions and potions for soaking, all from the in-house brand The Erose) as well as your very own steam room, with a window that glimpses across the rooftops of Venice.
    Liam Hess, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
  • If your napkin is saturated in grease, soaking it in a diluted vinegar mixture will help remove the greasy feel and smell while also softening the fibers.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Amber Smith and her husband, Granger Smith, lived every parent’s worst nightmare in 2019 when their 3-year-old son, River, drowned in the family’s backyard pool.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The couple had three children, the eldest of whom — Rupert — drowned off the West African coast in 1986.
    Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker has asked Tarrant County faith leaders to come to City Council meetings and saturate them in prayer.
    Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2025
  • For hardened drops, saturate a cotton ball and place it on the drop for several minutes before wiping away.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • About two dozen people gathered at the town council meeting on October 16 to voice concern and distress about drinking, bathing in or washing their clothes in the yellow, brown water as the public comment period stretched over an hour.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
  • An employee reportedly washed and dried a container but did not sanitize it.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In that four-year timeline, John had moved out several times and even impregnated a woman when he and Lorena were separated.
    Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
  • In Episode 7, audiences finally got to see the creature in action after Arthur (David Rysdahl) is impregnated by the specimen, paying homage to Kane’s (John Hurt) death on the Nostromo.
    Leia Mendoza, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Several structures are flooded.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Bold hues are the name of the game, whether this means going for the kind of saturated, chili pepper–adjacent red that flooded the runways of labels like Ferragamo or embracing autumn’s fascination with all things deep purple, courtesy of an earrings pair that pays homage to the humble eggplant.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Drench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drench. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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