souse 1 of 2

noun

Definition of sousenext
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 How to pronounce souse (audio)
1
as in to wet
to make wet a passing car barreled through the puddle and soused us good

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
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
  1. alcoholic
  2. wet
  3. dip
  4. soak
  5. drown
  6. duck
  7. drench
  8. wash
Noun
  • Premiering in 2013, Faris starred in the first seven seasons of Mom as Christy, a recovering alcoholic who struggles to maintain a job, her family and her sobriety as her mom Bonnie (Allison Janney), who’s also in recovery, moves in with her.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The answers to these questions are very important to our community of addicts and alcoholics, both in and out of recovery.
    — David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of alcoholic
Verb
  • The Bluff offers a gorgeous view of a section of the Tanana River and the surrounding boglands, ranging from permafrost forests to wet fens to bogs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Crumble up and wet a small piece, then gently rub it over spots and stains.
    — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of wet
Verb
  • Fashion designers are dipping couture in peat; memes on Instagram offer help choosing your bog witch name.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Denver Water recommends disconnecting garden hoses and shutting off outdoor faucets before temperatures dip below freezing.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dip
Verb
  • Previous research from the same site suggests that Neanderthals may have soaked and cooked meals of plants and legumes together.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Strong overnight storms brought heavy rain and damaging winds to the Kansas City area, leaving parts of the metro soaked with 1 to 2 inches of rain.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of soak
Verb
  • The guy went right to shore, the wife drowned while paddling around looking for him.
    — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • However, after Mitt drowns himself in the midst of a terminal illness, Jay goes diving in search of his father’s remains.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • Well, about four songs in, Jackson Browne decides to start his spiel about 'No Nukes' and how there was a nuke plant near Champaign, and everyone should 'duck and cover' or some crap like that.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Lastly, try ducking into Casey Rubber Stamps, founded in 1979, in the West Village, and a neighborhood fixture since 2003.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of duck
Verb
  • Janelle Monáe is absolutely drenched in fake blood and standing in the middle of a cemetery.
    — Marah Eakin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • After an in medias res introduction with Cardellini’s Pamela starring at herself in the mirror, drenched in blood, the story goes back nine months and we’re introduced to a cleaner Pamela working the kitchen at Camp Crystal Lake in New Jersey.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of drench
Verb
  • The only additional water usage for this collection comes in a single rinse wash given by Triarchy before the finished product ships so that the consumer doesn’t have to wash before wearing.
    — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • To kill lice or eggs that have jumped to surfaces, wash all clothing, bedding, head wear and toys that came in contact with the child’s head in the past two days in hot water and dry them on high heat.
    — Emily J. C. Wong, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of wash

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Cite this Entry

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

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