SOAK Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'soak' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of soak are drench , impregnate , saturate , and steep . While all these words mean "to permeate or be permeated with a liquid," soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing. // soak the garment in soapy water

Q: When might 'drench' be a better fit than 'soak'?

In some situations, the words drench and soak are roughly equivalent. However, drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured. // clothes drenched by a cloudburst

Q: Where would 'impregnate' be a reasonable alternative to 'soak'?

The words impregnate and soak can be used in similar contexts, but impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another. // a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

Q: When could 'saturate' be used to replace 'soak'?

The synonyms saturate and soak are sometimes interchangeable, but saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held. // a saturated sponge

Q: When can 'steep' be used instead of 'soak'?

While in some cases nearly identical to soak , steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (such as a color) to the thing immersed. // steep the tea for five minutes

soak 1 of 2

noun

Definition of soak

as in alcoholic

a person who makes a habit of getting drunk felt sorry for the town soak, who couldn't hold a job

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

soak

2 of 2

verb

ˈsōk

as in to saturate

to wet thoroughly with liquid we ran for home as soon as the rain started, but our clothes still ended up soaked

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to gouge

to charge (someone) too much for goods or services a merchant who soaks the tourists every summer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

undercharge

as in to wet

to make wet that downpour soaked my hair, and now I look like a sight

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to drink

to partake excessively of alcoholic beverages depressed about his love life, he repaired to a bar to soak

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

abstain

Synonym Chooser

How is the word soak different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of soak are drench, impregnate, saturate, and steep. While all these words mean "to permeate or be permeated with a liquid," soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

When might drench be a better fit than soak?

In some situations, the words drench and soak are roughly equivalent. However, drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

Where would impregnate be a reasonable alternative to soak?

The words impregnate and soak can be used in similar contexts, but impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

When could saturate be used to replace soak?

The synonyms saturate and soak are sometimes interchangeable, but saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

When can steep be used instead of soak?

While in some cases nearly identical to soak, steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (such as a color) to the thing immersed.

steep the tea for five minutes

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 soak

Noun

Enjoy a soothing soak at the free public bathhouse or hike along the park’s trails—keep an eye out for bison. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026 Goop Beauty boasts a skincare and makeup range, while Goop Bath includes a dry brush, a bath soak, and a body polish. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

Verb

Renewed flood danger Friday Iowa and northwestern Illinois face the greatest risk of flooding rain Friday — a Level 3 of 4 — but more storms are targeting communities in Indiana and Ohio already soaked this week. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 Alternatively, fill a bowl with the solution, soak a cloth in it, and apply it to the dirty grout. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for soak

Recent Examples of Synonyms for soak

Noun

Evidence increasingly suggests alcohol is so toxic that no amount is truly risk-free — regardless of whether somebody is an alcoholic or not.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Well, in the rooms of recovery, we are taught that your very specific story will help another alcoholic who is struggling with the same thing.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of alcoholic

Verb

Bubble sheet masks are made up of thin pieces of fabric that are saturated with a solution, which bubbles up as the mask sits on the skin.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
OpenAI’s lookbook for their capsule collection is an apparent homage to tastemaking brands like Kith and Aimé Leon Dore, two labels that turned laidback knitwear and box cut T-shirts into trends that saturated menswear in the last few years.

— T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of saturate

Verb

The shrapnel tore through the metal surrounding the engine, shattering the window at row 11, leaving a dent in the plane near row 8 and puncturing the body below the wing, as well as gouging and denting the tail, the NTSB said.

— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Also, refrain from pressure washing aggressively, as this can gouge the wood.

— Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 July 2026

Definition of gouge

Verb

Arrange some small, flat stones around the puddle to give the butterflies a place to land, and then add enough water to moisten or wet the sand.

— Joan Morris, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
Pyne argues that Mediterranean Europe, much like California, is naturally predisposed to burn because of an annual cycle of wetting and drying.

— M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of wet

Verb

Food and drink AutoCamp Joshua Tree is one of the few hotels in the area with an on-site restaurant, The Kitchen, which serves a short menu of reliable staples—pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, and breakfast items.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
Be sure to thoroughly clean up food and drink residue when you are finished eating.

— Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of drink

Noun

Funk recommends using a soaker hose or drip irrigation, both of which deliver water to plants slowly at soil level, near plant roots.

— Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026
Drip irrigation, soaker hoses, and other low-volume irrigation systems are efficient ways to provide consistent moisture to the plants and soil on a slope.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of soaker

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soaked

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“Soak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soak. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of soak

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verb

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Synonyms of soak

noun

verb

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Phrases Containing soak

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Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on soak

More from Merriam-Webster

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