SOUSE Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

souse 1 of 2

noun

Definition of souse

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

as in to wet

to make wet a passing car barreled through the puddle and soused us good

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

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

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

In terms of lead or co-lead roles, women and girls have seen progress (38 films in 2025 compared to 20 in 2007), but the figure dipped from the 19-year high of 55 lead/co-lead roles in 2024.

— Angelique Jackson, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Even though the forecast for this year is solid, with Cisco projecting revenue growth of about 15%, analysts see sales growth dipping next fiscal year back into the single digits.

— Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of dip

Verb

Tropical Storm Lala is already soaking Hawaii’s Big Island and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane, prompting a rare warning for what could be the island’s first hurricane landfall in 155 years.

— Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Hardy hibiscus seeds germinate more easily; soak and nick seeds before planting indoors.

— Shelby Vittek, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of soak

Verb

The masked person, carrying a distinctive blue plaid backpack, was last seen ducking into SEPTA’s Suburban Station.

— Madison Lambert, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2026
An aftershock that struck during an interview Tuesday prompted Vincentius Rano and his wife to instinctively duck and cover their heads.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of duck

Verb

Its forecast offices in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Tennessee warned that rainfall across each state could be persistent and widespread, potentially drenching parts of each state with another 4 inches or more.

— Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
While many summer nail trends are drenched in color—from butter yellow to true blue to tomato red—Jennifer Lopez is going for the exact opposite with lumière nude nails.

— Paula Oelbaum, Glamour, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of drench

Verb

If there isn’t room in the dishwasher for a container and its lid, wait for the next cycle or hand wash them to ensure both top and bottom are clean at the same time.

— Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Martha Stewart, 16 Aug. 2026
The messages were created using temporary chalk and power-washing techniques, with a cleanup plan in place from the outset.

— Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of wash

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Style

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

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Synonyms of souse

noun

verb

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