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
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
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
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
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
-
And having well and truly fallen off the wagon, the recovering alcoholic arrives at one particular murder scene in the full messy throes of withdrawal.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
-
AlAnon is a support group for family and friends of alcoholics/addicts.—
Ramona Sentinel,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lightly wet a microfiber cloth with warm water, being careful not to over-soak it.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Considerations Before Getting Started Before cleaning your sidewalks, gather some basic safety equipment such as gloves and eye protection, and protect plants and grass bordering your sidewalk from bleach and cleaners by wetting them down and covering them with plastic sheeting or old towels.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Johnnies slumped slightly from the field after halftime, but their lead never dipped below 13 points.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The Texas lead, however, has not dipped below 15 points in the second quarter.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Despite the intense heat of the last few days is not yet enough to bring drought to a region that was soaked by winter rain, but may make for a dangerous, fuel-heavy fire season, forecasters said Friday.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Topping it all off is the spacious top-floor primary suite, which has a sliding glass door opening to a private terrace offering city skyline views encompassing the Freedom Tower, along with a walk-in closet and a bath spotlighted by a freestanding oval soaking tub.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
How common is drowning in Idaho?—
Hali Smith
March 21,
Idaho Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The discovery came after a search that included helicopters, boats, dive teams and motorcycle units, as authorities pursued multiple lines of investigation, including the possibility that Gracey may have drowned.—
Jasmine Baehr , Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cabot immediately covered her face and turned away from the camera, while a stunned Byron ducked down and exited the frame.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Patrons ducked under available coverage to keep their tacos and arepas dry.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Splashdown sends boats careening into a wall of water that drenches riders and onlookers alike, welcome relief in triple-digit heat.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
And Jesse Leasure, who was drenched in pepper spray and felt like his skin was on fire and as though someone had rubbed his eyeballs with sandpaper.—
Olivia George,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Shark Stratos is designed for true hands free maintenance, featuring a NeverTouch Base that handles everything from emptying the dustbin to washing and drying the mop pads.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Always wash before peeling to avoid dragging surface residue into the flesh.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Souse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/souse. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
