To lie immersed in a liquid for a considerable time, so as to be saturated or permeated with it; to become thoroughly wet or soft in this manner.

hyperbolically. To ‘swim’ in blood, tears; to be ‘bathed’ in (happiness, etc.). Obsolete.

intransitive. To undergo the process of soaking in liquor.

To float, be immersed or steeped, in a fluid; also in figurative context (cf. 9b).

intransitive. To become soaked, or saturated with wet.

intransitive. To undergo maceration in a liquid.

To soak (transitive and intransitive).

transitive. To saturate in water, to rinse, wash out; spec. to soak (clothes) in soapy water. Also intransitive (esp. for reflexive) and ˈsappling n.

figurative. intransitive. To soak or become soaked; to immerse oneself; to be left to suffer, left in suspense, etc. (cf. stew, v.2 2c).