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
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
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Rayya, who is an alcoholic and a heroin addict in recovery, has begun openly drinking again.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
-
Everything kicks off with the arrival of Eileen (Nina Hoss), a recovering alcoholic, up for the same job as Hedda’s husband.—
Ben Jureidini,
Them.,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Potential for wetting rain exists and could provide additional containment opportunities.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
To clean, start by wetting the inside of your shower.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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So far this decade — according to Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science — the number of days that lows failed to dip below 80 degrees has already doubled compared to the 2000’s.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Huawei Huawei on Thursday launched the second generation of its trifold smartphone, as the Chinese tech giant looks to cement its comeback in its home market and dip its toe back overseas.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Don't let your soil dry out then soak it.—
Amy Brightfield,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Once soaked, take them out and rinse the parts thoroughly.—
Abby Fribush,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Stray Bullets • In this week’s post-credits scene, Adrian removes the pants of the drunk, sleeping John Economos and plants a tender kiss on his forehead.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Mary Roy, too, married to flee violence—her father, a civil servant under the British, beat his wife and whipped his children—only to find that her husband was an incorrigible drunk.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After a man drowned off a popular Anna Maria Island beach over the Labor Day weekend, city officials are speeding up plans to ban swimming in the area.—
Ryan Ballogg,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
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On Wednesday, as one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims spoke outside the Capitol, pleading for government candor, fighter jets roared overhead, briefly drowning her out.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In theory, a hesitation such as this shows the ace -- the defender was not ready for your play and was not sure whether to duck or not.—
Deb Harvell,
Arkansas Online,
31 Aug. 2025
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Some instinctively ducked, covered their classmates or followed teachers’ directions.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Unless your stain’s instruction label specifies otherwise, applying several thin coats of stain rather than drenching the surface with stain will yield the best absorption and most even finish.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Sep. 2025
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The scene looked all the more bleak after a mammoth thunderstorm drenched the ground in the second half, with the image of a soaking-wet Amorim frantically consulting his tactics board serving as the perfect metaphor for the club’s current state.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Souse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/souse. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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