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
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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
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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
-
Erdoğan’s speeches are full of practical advice about how to destroy the left, such as calling progressives lazy, impractical alcoholics funded by globalist lobbies and contrasting the efficiency of an imperial president with the messiness of parliamentary policymaking.—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
3 Feb. 2026
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The story of who Brooke Shields is — the Lolita of the ‘80s, the daughter of an alcoholic, a former Ivy Leaguer, a survivor of postpartum depression — is laid out clearly by Shields in her own words, with help from her celebrity friends and loved ones.—
Ilana Gordon,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Apply enough water to wet the soil 12 inches deep.—
Kelly Werthmann,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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To water from the top, pour water over the soil, avoiding wetting the leaves.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The freeze developed as the jet stream dipped sharply south during a strongly negative phase of what's called the Arctic Oscillation.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
-
For observers within that path, daylight will briefly give way to darkness, temperatures will dip, and the sun's outer atmosphere — the corona — will become visible to the naked eye.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Make sure to use a damp mop rather than a soaking wet one, or use a floor spray designed for hardwood floors and a dry cleaning pad to clean the surface.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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For extra protection, Stowell suggests soaking strawberries in a mixture of one part white vinegar to three parts water for five to 10 minutes, then rinsing thoroughly.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Plus, all the discourse surrounding the performance could easily drown out the subtlety of Ford’s inclusion.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
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Louie’s drinking was a way to drown his grief.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Photo provided Additional video shows witness Kenyatta Squires ducking into a corner deli moments before the van barrels onto the sidewalk toward two pedestrians standing outside a business.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
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But after ducking the tax — the first step toward eventually resetting their heavy repeater penalties — the Celtics surely won’t want to jump right back into it.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the warmer months, the area is frequently drenched in fog.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
4 Feb. 2026
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Kelsea Ballerini channeled Old Hollywood glamour in a form-fitting halter gown drenched in intricate metallic beadwork in shades of gold, bronze, and olive, arranged in swirling, paisley-like patterns with fringe detailing cascading from the skirt and train.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The pollutants diminished over time — absorbed into the landscape and washed into waterways.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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Francis says to wash your vase thoroughly with mild soapy water before adding the stems, and fill it 3/4 of the way full with lukewarm water.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Souse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/souse. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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