Synonyms of soak

soak 1 of 2

noun

as in alcoholic

a person who makes a habit of getting drunk

felt sorry for the town soak, who couldn't hold a job

Synonyms & Similar Words

• alcoholic
• soaker
• drunk
• souse
• sot
• drinker
• inebriate
• lush
• dipsomaniac
• drunkard
• rummy
• alkie
• tippler
• toper
• juicer
• tosspot
• boozer
• boozehound
• juicehead
• swigger
• swiller
• wino

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abstainer
• teetotaler
• nondrinker
• teetotalist

soak

2 of 2

verb

ˈsōk 

1

as in to saturate

to wet thoroughly with liquid

we ran for home as soon as the rain started, but our clothes still ended up soaked

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

2

as in to gouge

to charge (someone) too much for goods or services

a merchant who soaks the tourists every summer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gouge
• sting
• cheat
• overcharge
• surcharge
• stick
• defraud
• skin
• fleece
• clip
• mischarge

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undercharge

3

as in to wet

to make wet

that downpour soaked my hair, and now I look like a sight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wet
• drown
• wash
• rinse
• flood
• water
• bathe
• drench
• douse
• submerge
• flush
• sodden
• damp
• wet down
• dip
• waterlog
• water-soak
• sprinkle
• sop
• shower
• moisten
• mist
• drizzle
• saturate
• splash
• hydrate
• bedraggle
• dampen
• souse
• humidify
• moisturize
• inundate
• deluge
• overflow
• swamp
• impregnate
• hose (down)
• irrigate
• steep
• rehydrate
• bedew
• lave
• dunk
• slosh
• duck
• sluice
• asperse
• rewash
• rewet

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• evaporate
• dehydrate
• scorch
• sear
• desiccate
• parch
• dewater
• wring
• freeze-dry
• drip-dry
• dehumidify

4

as in to drink

to partake excessively of alcoholic beverages

depressed about his love life, he repaired to a bar to soak

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drink
• booze
• liquor (up)
• guzzle
• revel
• tipple
• bib
• hit the bottle
• lush (up)
• booze it up
• carouse
• imbibe
• nip

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abstain

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of soak are drench, impregnate, saturate, and steep. While all these words mean "to permeate or be permeated with a liquid," soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

When might drench be a better fit than soak?

In some situations, the words drench and soak are roughly equivalent. However, drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

Where would impregnate be a reasonable alternative to soak?

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

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

When could saturate be used to replace soak?

The synonyms saturate and soak are sometimes interchangeable, but saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

When can steep be used instead of soak?

While in some cases nearly identical to soak, 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 soak

Noun

The overnight soak tenderizes the meat, and grilling parts instead of a whole bird means every piece is cooked to perfection. — Inés Anguiano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026

Home beauty routines have moved well beyond sheet masks and foot soaks, with LED panels, chemical peels and brow lamination kits all promising salon-level results. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026

Verb

Your bottle will thank you for simply soaking it in regular detergent or natural cleaning products. — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026

There’s no evidence that soaking food or dousing it with vinegar or commercial vegetable washes is enough to get rid of them. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 14 July 2026

Phrases Containing soak

• soak (up)