IMPREGNATION Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

impregnate

verb

im-ˈpreg-ˌnāt

Definition of impregnate next

as in to soak

to wet thoroughly with liquid impregnated the cloth with furniture polish

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 impregnate Epstein famously discussed plans to impregnate multiple women at his New Mexico ranch in order to seed the human race with his DNA. —

Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026 Facts about elephant seals—a bull’s responsibility to impregnate his harem of females, birthing and nursing—though presented scientifically, put the children in a state of wild glee that a thousand-year-old redwood tree or a century-old lighthouse could not induce. —

Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026 Females produce large gametes and our bodies are organized around gestation and birth; males have small gametes and their bodies are organized around impregnating. —

Paisley Currah, The New York Review of Books, 18 Dec. 2025 That might still be enough, however, to give her the edge over June’s oldest daughter Helen (Toni Collette), a flighty new age breathing instructor who lives abroad and was recently impregnated by a random Greek stranger who knocks people up for fun and money. —

David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impregnate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impregnate

Verb

It is often thickened with binders and doesn’t soak deep into porous concrete like oil can.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
Whole flaxseeds should be soaked for easier digestion; ground flaxseeds are more digestible and versatile in recipes.

— Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 10 Apr. 2026