variants
also dowsed
as in dripping
containing, covered with, or thoroughly penetrated by water
shook the water out of her thoroughly doused hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in removed
to rid oneself of (a garment)
in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also dowsed
1
as in extinguished
to cause to cease burning
douse the campfire before leaving in the morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drowned
to make wet
the heavy rains thoroughly doused the tourists strolling the town streets
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 doused
Mars King, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
Dickson City Fire Chief Richard Chowanec said the flames were doused about a half hour later, but crews remained on the scene for several hours putting out hotspots.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
There were only four times in the last 25 years that the coach didn’t get doused, and three of those were Bill Belichick.
—J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
During the plane crash scene, she was doused with buckets of water.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
Some old-school joints use frozen or canned options year-round—a forgivable workaround when doused with enough garlic.
—Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
After the flames were doused, one person was found dead within the mobile home while two people were taken to a hospital, Fugitt said.
—Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
Their bodies were doused with gas and burned while Allied forces closed in on Germany’s capital from both sides.
—Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
Due to the extreme cold salt was used to help stop ice from forming as firefighters doused the flames.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Verb
Lang fled after being doused with water, pelted with snowballs and punched by counter-protesters.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
Dickson City Fire Chief Richard Chowanec said the flames were doused about a half hour later, but crews remained on the scene for several hours putting out hotspots.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
There were only four times in the last 25 years that the coach didn’t get doused, and three of those were Bill Belichick.
—J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
During the plane crash scene, she was doused with buckets of water.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
Some old-school joints use frozen or canned options year-round—a forgivable workaround when doused with enough garlic.
—Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
After the flames were doused, one person was found dead within the mobile home while two people were taken to a hospital, Fugitt said.
—Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
Their bodies were doused with gas and burned while Allied forces closed in on Germany’s capital from both sides.
—Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
Due to the extreme cold salt was used to help stop ice from forming as firefighters doused the flames.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doused
Adjective
-
Blooms carry quiet meaning—some joyful, some cautious, some dripping with love, some signaling emotional withdrawal.—
Kathy Barnes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The camera lingers on dripping egg yolks and squishy, bubbling dough; the protagonist, Cathy Earnshaw (played by Margot Robbie), must wade through pig’s blood on her way to the moors near her home, leaving a trim of viscera on her gorgeously anachronistic dress.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Hues like blush and dusty rose pair well with sandy neutrals, soft grays, and even more saturated colors like teal and fuchsia.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Compared to hard cheeses, cottage cheese has less saturated fat and 5 times more potassium.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
These pre-soaked pads pair pore-clearing salicylic acid with a gentle dose of texture-refining retinol, while cica and green tea ceramide from Korea’s mineral-rich Jeju Island soothe and calm skin.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This may take 30-60 minutes for soaked beans, or 1-2 hours for unsoaked beans.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The age of white-washed, super scant, and industrial spaces are behind us.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Eddie Bauer Queen-Size Troutdale Green Quilt Set Eddie Bauer’s light gray plaid quilt set comes pre-washed for extra softness.—
Kenedee Fowler,
Southern Living,
29 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
When coming to a flooded road, turn around and head back.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
When coming to a flooded road, turn around and head back.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Thanks to an exceptionally wet December, death cap mushrooms — or Amanita phalloides — have proliferated along the Central Coast and in Northern California.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Beyond Darwin’s collection, the approach could be applied across museums worldwide, offering a safer way to manage aging wet collections and preserve irreplaceable biological records.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When TikTok virality and playlist automation saturate listeners’ attention, artistic sameness threatens to rule the day—but independent artists on their own unique paths are still with us.—
Jenn Pelly,
Time,
7 June 2025
-
Rain could aid firefighting efforts and saturate dry fuels, reducing their risk of igniting in the future.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Doused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doused. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
