SOUSE Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

souse 1 of 2

noun

Definition of souse

as in alcoholic

a person who makes a habit of getting drunk an old souse who lumbered home with a full bottle of gin in him every night

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

souse

2 of 2

verb

ˈsau̇s

as in to wet

to make wet a passing car barreled through the puddle and soused us good

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to dip

to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid repeatedly soused the tools in the tub to get the dirt off

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to soak

to wet thoroughly with liquid firefighters soused the neighboring houses so that they wouldn't catch fire as well

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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 souse

Noun

Both actors were the sons of souses (Dick Hopkins, on retiring from the baking trade, opened a pub), and the stuff was in their bloodstream. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 Mars in your sign only happens every two years, souse this time wisely. — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 3 Aug. 2025 For another Grand Turk specialty, chicken souse served with journey (called johnnycake on other Caribbean islands), Been suggests the deli at the Graceway Grand Turk or the Spot at the JAGS McCartney Airport, which serves the dish on Saturdays. — Laura Begley Bloom, AFAR Media, 10 Mar. 2025 Taste traditional home cooking If fish is for Friday, the traditional Bajan dish of pudding and souse is the staple of Saturday. — Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025 Guests were treated to local specialties like fresh conch salad, crack conch fritters, curry goat, chicken souse and more, with a side of carnival vibes and traditional music and dance performances. — Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 While assembling these souse and bakes, the complex history of the Caribbean comes into full view, as does the resilience of Grenadians who have turned the foods of their oppression such as saltfish into profoundly beautiful, delicious dishes. — Lelani Lewis, Saveur, 29 Feb. 2024

Verb

At the reception, everyone sat at tables named for Italian directors and feasted on dishes like linguine with baby squid and soused trout by chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo. — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 Mars in your sign only happens every two years, souse this time wisely. — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 3 Aug. 2025 The party scenes are tawdry, with flappers frenetically jiggling, their underwear peeking out and soused guests making spectacles of themselves. — Danielle Teller, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025 The athletes were unwinding in the locker room when Coach Mark Few and his assistants charged in and began sousing them with ice-cold water. — Andrew Keh, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023 And then there’s the soy sauce that gets soused over everything to improve bad food in a cheap restaurant. — Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN, 5 Mar. 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for souse

Noun

The answers to these questions are very important to our community of addicts and alcoholics, both in and out of recovery.

— David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
Dad is an abusive alcoholic, prone to berating and even assaulting his daughter in front of guests, of which Vangelio is currently the only one.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of alcoholic

Verb

Havenith said deliberately wetting clothing can provide evaporative cooling, including for older adults who may not sweat as effectively.

— Aya Diab, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
For best results, water deeply at the base of the plant, allowing moisture to soak into the root zone rather than wetting the foliage, says Kelly Funk, president and CEO of Jackson & Perkins.

— Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of wet

Verb

The primary suite has dual walk-in closets, a soaking tub surrounded by 10-foot tumbled travertine stone walls, a steam shower, dry sauna and private fitness area.

— David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Bathrooms are equipped with rain showers, motion-sensing Toto toilets, and soaking tubs.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of soak

Verb

After a 2-year-old drowned in a backyard swimming pool in July 2025, Fatehi considered filing felony murder charges against his mother, who had passed out from drinking at the time of the accident.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Estimates of the death toll range from roughly 1 million to 4 million, with later deaths attributed to famine and disease as well as drowning.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of drown

Verb

People forced to duck TikTokers and TMZ don’t want to expose every aspect of their incomes and daily lives to strangers, then live somewhere where everyone knows everyone’s business.

— Bridget Read, Curbed, 1 Sep. 2026
Paxton has so far failed to hold large campaign events and is ducking debates.

— Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of duck

Verb

The deaths were spread across three towns in Suichuan county, where heavy rain drenched the area for days after Typhoon Saudel came ashore on China's east coast.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Jódar was drenched in sweat by early in the third set Wednesday, on a humid — but not intensely humid — day in New York despite the rain later.

— Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of drench

Verb

But behind the crisp white tablecloths, strict dress code and expensive steak dinners was a kitchen full of immigrant workers washing dishes, preparing food and keeping the restaurant running.

— Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Now, to the handwashing shortcomings, such as a cashier handling customer’s payment, then preparing drinks and serving plates of food to customers without washing hands (cash and payment cards tend to be germ motherships).

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of wash

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“Souse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/souse. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of souse

noun

verb

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