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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to wet
to make wet
a passing car barreled through the puddle and soused us good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to soak
to wet thoroughly with liquid
firefighters soused the neighboring houses so that they wouldn't catch fire as well
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 souse
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
The meat in souse is first tenderized through boiling and then marinated in lime, cucumbers, peppers and seasonings to pickled perfection.
—Essence, 25 Nov. 2024
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
The caterers served roti and jerk and pelau and souse.
—Victoria Brown, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 Feb. 2021
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
Noun
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
The meat in souse is first tenderized through boiling and then marinated in lime, cucumbers, peppers and seasonings to pickled perfection.
—Essence, 25 Nov. 2024
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
The caterers served roti and jerk and pelau and souse.
—Victoria Brown, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 Feb. 2021
Verb
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
-
His mother was a gregarious Little League Baseball booster and history buff, but also an alcoholic living in the balance.—
NPR,
NPR,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Their mother began a relationship with a swaggering alcoholic, their future stepfather, who mocked Scott for being soft.—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
To help keep leaves, whole or chopped, in place during high winds or flooding rains, wet them down with a hose.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
-
But the comedy is absolutely something that wets my beak, I'm drawn to it.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the sections that dip below provide structural continuity.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Once the Sun dips below the horizon, which is the case in all the hours between dusk and dawn, no solar power is generated at all.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Larger suites come with expansive bathrooms featuring standalone tubs (stocked with plenty of fragrant lotions and potions for soaking, all from the in-house brand The Erose) as well as your very own steam room, with a window that glimpses across the rooftops of Venice.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
13 Oct. 2025
-
If your napkin is saturated in grease, soaking it in a diluted vinegar mixture will help remove the greasy feel and smell while also softening the fibers.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In 1984, a 20-year-old woman named Kathleen Barry was killed in a drunk-driving crash, prompting legal reforms in Massachusetts.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Yes, that is not a way to clear herself from the problem of very publicly calling Shannon a drunk.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As commissioner Cathy Engelbert took the microphone to congratulate the Las Vegas Aces and crown them the WNBA champions, fans in Phoenix drowned out her message with relentless booing.—
Shannon Ryan,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
His pre-teen son in tow, Luis joins up with a crusty group of dancers who are heading to a secret party in the heart of the desert, where the beats will be loud enough to drown out the sounds of the apocalyptic war that’s brewing around them.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In a handshake attempt during the final seconds, Branch ducked Mahomes, prompting Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to approach him.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Pressure arrived, and Allen ducked it initially to extend the play.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The remnants of the former hurricane drenched much of the state with several inches of rain, but forecasters expect the wet and warm weather to finally dry out and cool down.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
For Slusser, the Seaquarium holds countless memories — from watching killer whales drench the audience during their shows to seeing nurse sharks and manatees being fed.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Souse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/souse. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share