douse
1 of 4verb (1)
ˈdau̇s 
also
ˈdau̇z variants or less commonly dowse
doused also dowsed; dousing also dowsing
transitive verb
1
: to plunge into water
Blanch the green beans then douse them in a bath of ice water.
2
a
: to throw a liquid on : drench
The books were doused in gasoline and set ablaze.
doused herself in perfume
b
: slosh
3
[originally in argot use (douse the glim meaning "extinguish the light") and perhaps of distinct origin] : extinguish
douse the lights
douse the blaze
intransitive verb
: to fall or become plunged into water
douser noun
or less commonly dowser
douse
2 of 4noun (1)
ˈdau̇s
also
ˈdau̇z : a heavy drenching
a douse of cold water
douse
3 of 4noun (2)
ˈdüs ˈdau̇s
ˈdau̇s British
: blow, stroke
douse
4 of 4verb (2)
ˈdau̇s
doused; dousing
transitive verb
1
nautical
a
: to take in : lower, strike
douse a sail
b
: slacken
douse a rope
2
: take off, doff
doused his hat
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- doff
- peel (off)
- put off
- remove
- shrug off
- take off
Noun (2)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
of obscure origin
Note: 16th-century douse "to strike, inflict a blow on" — see douse entry 3 may be related but is remote in sense
Noun (1)
noun derivative of douse entry 1
Noun (2)
noun derivative of earlier douse "to strike, inflict a blow on," akin by borrowing or descent to Middle Dutch dossen "to strike, shove," Early Modern Dutch doesen, German dialect dusen, tusen, tausen
Verb (2)
perhaps sense extensions of earlier douse "to strike, inflict a blow on" — more at douse entry 3
First Known Use
Verb (1)
1566, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (1)
1835, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
circa 1625, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
douse
verb
ˈdau̇s
doused; dousing
1
: to stick into water
He doused his head in the stream.
2
: to throw a liquid on
The chef doused the shrimp in sauce.
3
: to put out : extinguish
douse a light
doused 1 of 3
adjective
variants also dowsed
as in soaked
containing, covered with, or thoroughly penetrated by water shook the water out of her thoroughly doused hair Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- soaked
- bathed
- dripping
- soaking
- washed
- drenched
- wet
- saturated
- watered
- drowned
- saturate
- sodden
- awash
- flushed
- soused
- sopping
- logged
- soggy
- waterlogged
- splashed
- flooded
- submerged
- dipped
- overflowed
- bedraggled
- water-soaked
- moist
- inundated
- deluged
- soppy
- dunked
- rinsed
- steeped
- watery
- swamped
- hydrated
- sluiced
- humid
- irrigated
- damp
- aqueous
- laved
- clammy
- dank
- boggy
- dampish
- squashy
- miry
- sloppy
- seepy
- wettish
- semimoist
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- dry
- unwatered
- arid
- waterless
- baked
- waterproof
- watertight
- dehydrated
- bone-dry
- hyperarid
- parched
- wrung
- thirsty
- sunbaked
- ultradry
- sear
- droughty
- water-resistant
- sere
- water-repellent
- freeze-dried
doused
2 of 3verb (1)
as in removed
to rid oneself of (a garment) in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors Synonyms & Similar Words
- removed
- doffed
- stripped
- shed
- shrugged off
- put off
- husked
- disrobed
- undressed
- took off
- peeled (off)
- kicked (off)
- stript
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- donned
- threw (on)
- wore
- slipped (into)
- dressed
- clothed
- put on
- clad
- suited
- garbed
- attired
- bedecked
- arrayed
- rigged
- robed
- apparelled
- appareled
doused
3 of 3verb (2)
variants also dowsed
1
as in extinguished
to cause to cease burning douse the campfire before leaving in the morning Synonyms & Similar Words
- extinguished
- blanketed
- quenched
- choked
- smothered
- suffocated
- put out
- stubbed
- blew out
- snuffed (out)
- rubbed out
- snubbed (out)
- stamped (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ignited
- lit
- fired
- lighted
- kindled
- inflamed
- enflamed
2
as in drowned
to make wet the heavy rains thoroughly doused the tourists strolling the town streets Synonyms & Similar Words
- drowned
- washed
- bathed
- soaked
- flooded
- drenched
- wet
- watered
- sopped
- soused
- wetted
- waterlogged
- damped
- bedraggled
- showered
- drizzled
- sprinkled
- hydrated
- misted
- wet down
- moistened
- water-soaked
- submerged
- swamped
- soddened
- flushed
- saturated
- inundated
- deluged
- wetted down
- splashed
- dampened
- impregnated
- bedewed
- overflowed
- rinsed
- steeped
- dunked
- sluiced
- humidified
- sloshed
- irrigated
- aspersed
- moisturized
- laved
- dipped
- ducked
- rewashed
- rehydrated
- rewet
- rewetted
- hosed (down)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- dried
- scorched
- seared
- evaporated
- parched
- dehydrated
- desiccated
- wrung
- dewatered
- freeze-dried
- dehumidified
- drip-dried
3
as in dipped
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid douse the grapes in water to remove any grit Synonyms & Similar Words
- dipped
- soaked
- dunked
- immersed
- submerged
- submersed
- ducked
- sopped
- soused
- bathed
- drenched
- wet
- drowned
- moistened
- steeped
- flooded
- wetted
- plunged
- dived
- dove
- thrust
- poundings
- poundkeeper
- Poundmaker
- poundmaster
- pounds
- pounds (down)
- pounds (out)
- pounds down
- pounds out
- pour
- pour acquit
- pour batter
- pour en
- pour encourager les autres
- pour in
- pour into
- pour it on
- pour le mérite
- pour oil on troubled waters
- pour on
- pour one's heart out
- pour one's heart/soul out
- pour one's soul out
- pour out
- pour out one's heart