drenching

verb

present participle of drench
1
as in wetting
to make wet we were drenched by the sudden rainstorm

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in soaking
to wet thoroughly with liquid when using the carpet shampooer, wet but do not drench the carpet

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 drenching The drenching rains and destructive flooding were among the impacts of severe storms that have wreaked havoc across the Midwest and beyond in recent days. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 Lala is no longer a hurricane, but the tropical storm is drenching Hawaii with sideways rain, hurricane-force gusts and pounding surf, flooding rivers and triggering mudslides. — Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Fans line up Despite a drenching rain, spirits were high at Robin Roberts Stadium. — Kendra Nordin Beato, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2026 Its forecast offices in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Tennessee warned that rainfall across each state could be persistent and widespread, potentially drenching parts of each state with another 4 inches or more. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 These drenching rains are expected to begin for the eastern side of the Big Island on Friday and continue through the weekend. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026 Torrential rain and storms in Typhoon Dolphin’s wake have swept through several provinces in China’s east, drenching the coastal region and flooding streets in Shanghai, the country’s second most populated city. — Reuters, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026 Significant flash flooding is possible from parts of the Midwest to the central Appalachians during much of the workweek as multiple rounds of storms unleash drenching downpours. — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 Instead, Guarnaschelli recommends color drenching the ceiling in darker rooms, either with the same color or a slightly lightened shade. — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 14 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drenching
  1. wetting
  2. soaking
  3. drowning
  4. saturating
  5. washing
  6. impregnating
  7. flooding
Verb
  • Pyne argues that Mediterranean Europe, much like California, is naturally predisposed to burn because of an annual cycle of wetting and drying.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Make sure water penetrates to the deep roots in addition to wetting surface roots.
    — Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of wetting
Verb
  • Tropical Storm Lala is already soaking Hawaii’s Big Island and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane, prompting a rare warning for what could be the island’s first hurricane landfall in 155 years.
    — Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The bedroom is paired with a Blue Crystallo quartzite bathroom, where the vanity matches the walk-in shower and a gold soaking tub sits next to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of soaking
Verb
  • Its protagonist, Sienna, loses her voice and begins growing scales after nearly drowning, entering an underground world of desire and danger.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • An autopsy found that Melina died from asphyxia due to drowning, and her manner of death was ruled a homicide, according to New York State Police.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of drowning
Verb
  • That creates an important exception for government agencies that test drugs and send out regular reports on what adulterants are saturating the drug supply in certain locations.
    — Scott Maucione, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Spray it onto a microfiber cloth and wipe your floors to avoid over-saturating them.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 31 July 2026
Definition of saturating
Verb
  • The messages were created using temporary chalk and power-washing techniques, with a cleanup plan in place from the outset.
    — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026
  • One day, while washing a wooden cutting board, a splinter lodged in my left index finger.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of washing
Verb
  • But Niall arguably commits the deepest betrayal by sleeping with Ruben’s fiancée, Mona (Amy Manson), impregnating her, and keeping that information from Ruben for years.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026
  • The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Brayanne Escobar-Guarnizo was sentenced to 25 years in prison for raping and impregnating a 12-year-old girl.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Definition of impregnating
Verb
  • Kelly Howe The area around the Aspen Acres fire was also struck by flooding last month.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Tributes are flooding in for Hayden Panettiere, the Scream and Heroes star who died Sunday at 36.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of flooding

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drenches
drenching
dress
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Cite this Entry

“Drenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drenching. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on drenching

Nglish: Translation of drenching for Spanish Speakers

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