douse

/daʊs/
/daʊz/
IPA guide

Other forms: doused; dousing; douses

Use the verb douse to describe covering something with water or other liquid. When you're camping, you douse the campfire with water when you're done with it.

Douse often involves water, but you could also douse your French fries in ketchup. Douse can describe the act of extinguishing a candle, or even turning off a light. You might douse your bedroom light when it's time to sleep or simply douse a candle by blowing it out. Douse is most commonly pronounced to rhyme with mouse.

Definitions of douse
  1. verb
    wet thoroughly
    synonyms: dowse
    see moresee less
    type of:
    wet
    cause to become wet
  2. verb
    cover with liquid; pour liquid onto
    synonyms: dowse, drench, soak, sop, souse
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 5 types...
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    brine
    soak in brine
    bedraggle, draggle
    make wet and dirty, as from rain
    bate
    soak in a special solution to soften and remove chemicals used in previous treatments
    ret
    place (flax, hemp, or jute) in liquid so as to promote loosening of the fibers from the woody tissue
    flush, sluice
    irrigate with water from a sluice
    type of:
    wet
    cause to become wet
  3. verb
    dip into a liquid
    synonyms: dip, duck
    see moresee less
    type of:
    dip, dunk, plunge, souse
    immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate
  4. verb
    immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate
    synonyms: dip, dunk, plunge, souse
    see moresee less
    types:
    sop
    dip into liquid
    dip, duck
    dip into a liquid
    dabble
    dip a foot or hand briefly into a liquid
    type of:
    immerse, plunge
    thrust or throw into
  5. verb
    lower quickly
    “douse a sail”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    furl, roll up
    form into a cylinder by rolling
  6. verb
    put out, as of a candle or a light
    “Douse the lights”
    synonyms: put out
    see moresee less
    type of:
    blow out, extinguish, quench, snuff out
    put out, as of fires, flames, or lights
  7. verb
    slacken
    “douse a rope”
    synonyms: dowse
    see moresee less
    type of:
    remit, slacken
    make slack as by lessening tension or firmness
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘douse'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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