souse 1 of 2

noun

Definition of sousenext
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 How to pronounce souse (audio)
1
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
2
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
3
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
  1. alcoholic
  2. wet
  3. dip
  4. soak
  5. drown
  6. duck
  7. drench
  8. wash
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
  • Crumble up and wet a small piece, then gently rub it over spots and stains.
    — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 13 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of wet
Verb
  • Mainland Chinese equities dropped to a 13-month low this month, while the Japanese yen dipped to a multi-decade low in June.
    — Hok-hang Cheung, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Trump’s approval also dipped among Black and Latino voters in the poll.
    — Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of dip
Verb
  • The two large bathrooms had plenty of closet space and a deep soaking tub (there’s a third small powder room off the living area).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
  • With heavy rain soaking the region on Thursday, the National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for several rivers, including the Missouri River and locations along it.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of soak
Verb
  • In forensic parlance, a diagnosis of exclusion is one reached by ruling out other plausible causes; drowning can be challenging to prove, because often there’s no telltale sign that one occurred.
    — Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Meadows’ death certificate later listed his cause of death as drowning with probable hypothermia.
    — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • And who will have to settle for simply drinking out of a coconut or ducking under stuff?
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Deputies quickly detained Mendiola after witnesses, who were ducking for cover, pointed him out.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of duck
Verb
  • Tiny and blond with rounded, cherubic features, Pugh’s Cathy lands at their doorstep one night like an angel that crashed to the earth, her skull cracked and her dress drenched in blood.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Heavy rain was already drenching parts of the region Tuesday morning and causing flooding.
    — Martín Silva Rey, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of drench
Verb
  • At high tide, the waves wash into his living room, depositing saltwater treasures and unlikely new friends.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The result is a single zone that can wash, chop, drain and dry without a cook ever moving to a new surface.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of wash

Browse Nearby Words

sours
souse
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Cite this Entry

“Souse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/souse. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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