drench

1 of 2

verb

ˈdrench How to pronounce drench (audio)
drenched; drenching; drenches
Synonyms of drenchnext

transitive verb

1
: to wet thoroughly (as by soaking or immersing in liquid)
2
: to soak or cover thoroughly with liquid that falls or is precipitated
3
: to fill or cover completely as if by soaking or precipitation
… was drenched in furs and diamonds …—Richard Brautigan
4
a
: to administer a drench to (an animal)
b
archaic : to force to drink
drencher noun

drench

2 of 2

noun

1
: a poisonous or medicinal drink
specifically : a large dose of medicine mixed with liquid and put down the throat of an animal
2
a
: something that drenches
b
: a quantity sufficient to drench or saturate

Synonyms of drench

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for drench

soak, saturate, drench, steep, impregnate 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

saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

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

impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

Examples of drench in a Sentence

Verb we were drenched by the sudden rainstorm when using the carpet shampooer, wet but do not drench the carpet
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
At Dover Street Market’s Rose Bakery in Paris on day four of Men’s Fashion Week, around 40 runners arrived for breakfast, drenched in sweat. — Grace Cook, Vogue, 7 July 2026 This Brooklyn town house layers English textiles and plays with color drenching to maximize its tighter spaces but maintains its tidiness by paring back on decor. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 7 July 2026
Noun
Worm casting tea can be applied weekly or monthly as a soil drench or foliar spray, depending on your plants. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 July 2026 Don't be afraid to go all in and color drench a small room. — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 30 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for drench

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English drencan; akin to Old English drincan to drink

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of drench was before the 12th century

Rhymes for drench

See All Rhymes for drench

Browse Nearby Words

Dreissensia
drench
drencher
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drench. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

drench

verb
ˈdrench
: to wet thoroughly

Medical Definition

drench

1 of 2 noun
ˈdrench How to pronounce drench (audio)
: a poisonous or medicinal drink
specifically : a large dose of medicine mixed with liquid and put down the throat of an animal

drench

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to administer a drench to (an animal)

More from Merriam-Webster on drench

Nglish: Translation of drench for Spanish Speakers

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