Synonyms of impregnate

impregnate

verb

im-ˈpreg-ˌnāt 

as in to soak

to wet thoroughly with liquid

impregnated the cloth with furniture polish

Synonyms & Similar Words

• soak
• saturate
• drown
• drench
• macerate
• immerse
• wash
• submerge
• steep
• penetrate
• dip
• sop
• sodden
• souse
• infiltrate
• marinate
• inundate
• permeate
• bathe
• water
• moisten
• hydrate
• seethe
• swamp
• waterlog
• water-soak
• douse
• damp
• dampen
• presoak
• humidify
• swill

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• wring (out)
• dehydrate
• drain
• empty
• void
• sear
• desiccate
• parch
• dehumidify

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of impregnate are drench, saturate, soak, and steep. While all these words mean "to permeate or be permeated with a liquid," impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

When could drench be used to replace impregnate?

While in some cases nearly identical to impregnate, drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

When might saturate be a better fit than impregnate?

The words saturate and impregnate can be used in similar contexts, but saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

Where would soak be a reasonable alternative to impregnate?

While the synonyms soak and impregnate are close in meaning, soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

In what contexts can steep take the place of impregnate?

In some situations, the words steep and impregnate are roughly equivalent. 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

Recent Examples of impregnate

Vince once wanted his character to impregnate Stephanie’s. —Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Now, as a parent to two small children myself, Margo’s choice stirred up a lot of feelings for me, especially because this exact narrative — a young, twenty-something woman decides to keep her baby after getting impregnated by a married professor — is also playing out on HBO’s Rooster. —Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026

Dolores Huerta, 95, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Chavez, told the newspaper she was raped and impregnated twice by Chavez. —Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026

Apollo Records ambient-house longplayer impregnated with weed smoke, working simultaneously from the intractable computer logic of vintage IDM and the loose rules of a jam session. —Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026