I. soak 1 /səʊk $ soʊk/ BrE AmE verb
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: socian ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] if you soak something, or if you let it soak, you keep it covered with a liquid for a period of time, especially in order to make it softer or easier to clean:
Soak the clothes in cold water.
Let the pans soak; I’ll wash them later.
soak something off/out (=remove it by soaking)
Put the bottle in soapy water to soak the label off.
2 . [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to make something completely wet:
Police aimed water hoses at the marchers, soaking them.
soak through/into etc
The blood soaked through the bandage.
soak something in/with something
a rag soaked with oil
3 . [intransitive] to spend a long time taking a bath:
Soak in a warm bath to relax.
4 . [transitive] informal to make someone pay too much money in prices or taxes:
taxes that soak the middle classes
soak something ↔ up phrasal verb
1 . if something soaks up a liquid, it takes the liquid into itself:
He used a towel to soak up the blood.
2 . soak up the sun/rays/sunshine etc to sit outside for a long time enjoying the sun
3 . to enjoy a place by watching it or becoming involved in it:
Go to a sidewalk café, order coffee, and soak up the atmosphere.
4 . to learn something quickly and easily:
Children soak up language incredibly quickly.
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THESAURUS
▪ wet to put water or another liquid onto something to make it wet. In spoken English, people will often use get something wet rather than wet :
He wet the washcloth and washed Tom’s face.
▪ splash to make someone or something wet by making a lot of small drops of water fall onto them:
The kids were playing around in the pool, splashing each other.
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I accidentally splashed soup onto my shirt.
▪ soak to put something in water for a long time or to make something very wet – use this especially when something is put into water or the water comes up from underneath to make it wet:
Soak the beans overnight before cooking.
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The rain had come in through the bottom of our tent and completely soaked our clothes.
▪ drench to make someone or something extremely wet with a large amount of water – use this especially when water is poured or falls on something:
He drenched us all with the hose.
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Her shirt was drenched in sweat.
▪ saturate formal to completely cover or fill something with liquid, so that it is wet all the way through:
Heavy rains had saturated the ground.
▪ flood to cover an area of land with a large amount of water:
Farmers flood the fields in order to grow rice.
▪ moisten to make something slightly wet by putting a small amount of water or another liquid on it, especially to stop it from getting too dry:
Add just enough water to moisten the cake mixture.
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Tom paused and moistened his lips.
▪ dampen to make something slightly wet by putting a little water on it:
Rain came in through the window, dampening the curtains.
II. soak 2 BrE AmE noun [singular]
1 . a long and enjoyable time spent taking a bath:
I had a good long soak in the bath.
2 . British English when you soak something:
Give the towels a good soak, they’re very dirty.
3 . an old soak someone who is often drunk – used humorously