soak

[ sohk ]

verb (used without object)

1. to lie in and become saturated or permeated with water or some other liquid.
2. to pass, as a liquid, through pores, holes, or the like:

   The rain soaked through the tear in the umbrella.

   Synonyms: seep

3. to be thoroughly wet:

   Her shoes and socks were soaking and her feet were freezing.

4. to penetrate or become known to the mind or feelings (followed by in ):

   The lesson didn't soak in.

   Synonyms: seep

5. Informal. to drink immoderately, especially alcoholic beverages:

   They were soaking at the bar.

verb (used with object)

1. to place or keep in liquid in order to saturate thoroughly; steep.
2. to wet thoroughly; saturate or drench.

   Antonyms: dry

3. to permeate thoroughly, as liquid or moisture does.

   Synonyms: penetrate, infuse

4. Metallurgy. to heat (a piece) for reworking.
5. Informal. to intoxicate (oneself ) by drinking an excess of liquor.
6. Slang. to beat hard; punish severely:

   I was soaked for that mistake.

7. to extract or remove by or as by soaking (often followed by out ):

   to soak a stain out of a napkin.

8. Slang. to overcharge:

   He was soaked by the waiter.

noun

1. the act or state of soaking or the state of being soaked.
2. the liquid in which anything is soaked.
3. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a habitual drinker of alcohol who is frequently intoxicated; a heavy drinker.
4. Australian. any small area of land, as near a spring or at the foot of a hill, that becomes swamplike or holds water after a period of heavy rain.

verb phrase

1. 1. to absorb or take in or up by absorption:

      Blotting paper soaks up ink.

   2. to absorb with one's mind or senses; take in:

      to soak up information.

   3. Slang. to drink to excess:

      He can really soak up the booze.

soak

/ səʊk /

verb

1. to make, become, or be thoroughly wet or saturated, esp by immersion in a liquid
2. whenintr, usually foll by in or into (of a liquid) to penetrate or permeate
3. tr; usually foll by in or up (of a permeable solid) to take in (a liquid) by absorption

   the earth soaks up rainwater

4. tr; foll by out or out of to remove by immersion in a liquid

   she soaked the stains out of the dress

5. tr metallurgy to heat (a metal) prior to working
6. informal.
   to drink excessively or make or become drunk
7. slang.
   tr to overcharge
8. slang.
   tr to put in pawn

noun

1. the act of immersing in a liquid or the period of immersion
2. the liquid in which something may be soaked, esp a solution containing detergent
3. See soakage
   another name for soakage
4. informal.
   a heavy rainfall
5. slang.
   a person who drinks to excess

Derived Forms

• ˈsoaking, nounadjective
• ˈsoaker, noun

Other Words From

• soak·er noun
• soak·ing·ly adverb
• o·ver·soak verb
• re·soak verb
• un·soaked adjective
• well-soaked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of soak¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English soken, Old English sōcian; akin to suck

Word History and Origins

Origin of soak¹

Old English sōcian to cook; see suck

Synonym Study

See wet.

Example Sentences

Slide your spoonful of cereal on over to your milk for a quick bath or a longer soak, and control your crunch.

From Popular-Science

This tray can hold anything and everything you might need for a relaxing soak.

From Popular-Science

These are made for a hot tub, but if your bath is big enough they can really liven up a soak, holding whatever beverage you might want to sip while finishing up that new book about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

From Ozy

While previous approaches relied on long soaks in the solution to ensure enough CNTs got deposited, the researchers instead carried out a series of 10-second soaks interspersed with drying.

From Singularity Hub 

They repeated these cycles of soak-and-release at least 10 times.

From Science News For Students

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Soak the cranberries in ¾ cup cranberry juice for 15 minutes.

From The Daily Beast

They would soak bags of macaroni to make dough, roll it out and create dumplings, which they sold with a side of lo mein.

From The Daily Beast

Spring is starting to arrive, and we plan to soak up as much sun as our vitamin-D-deficient bodies can handle.

From The Daily Beast

It had a festive air last Sunday as residents flooded into the spotlessly clean park to soak up the first rays of spring.

From The Daily Beast

While drinking that eat two bananas and let the peels soak in a glass of water.

From The Daily Beast

After this process the rolls are placed in a jar full of clear water and left to soak for three days.

From Project Gutenberg

When the segments are quite dry, prepare a jar with clear soft water, and put them in this to soak over night.

From Project Gutenberg

The buri leaves remain in the water and soak thus for three days and three nights.

From Project Gutenberg

A 5-per-cent solution can be purchased for a few cents at any drug store and will soak a great number of wicks.

From Project Gutenberg

Soak some clean blotting paper in the hyposulphite-of-soda solution and allow it to dry.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• absorb
• bathe
• dip
• drink
• drown
• flood
• immerse
• marinate
• moisten
• penetrate
• saturate
• soften
• steep
• submerge
• wash