What does "bathe" mean?
The act of swimming or bathing, especially in the sea, a lake, or a river; a swimming bath.
Bathe
/beɪð/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of swimming or bathing, especially in the sea, a lake, or a river; a swimming bath.
- Grammar: bathe is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: aquaplaning, aquatics, australian crawl, backstroke.
- Useful contrasts: darken, dim, dry.
- Usage evidence: Beth told Chris to bathe or she will not agree to date him.
How to use "bathe"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bathe" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bathe" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bathe" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bathe" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bathe" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aquaplaning" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bathe", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of swimming or bathing, especially in the sea, a lake, or a river; a swimming bath. British, colloquial
"I'm going to have a midnight bathe tonight."
- 2 the act of swimming for pleasure or recreation wordnet
Verb
- 1 To clean oneself by immersion in water or using water; to take a bath, have a bath. intransitive
"A Greek historian Phylarchus describes a white root indigenous to India that caused eunuchism when a person bathed in water in which the root was steeped."
- 2 cleanse the entire body wordnet
- 3 To immerse oneself, or part of the body, in water for pleasure or refreshment; to swim. intransitive
- 4 suffuse or envelope with something wordnet
- 5 To clean a person by immersion in water or using water; to give someone a bath. transitive
"We bathe our baby before going to bed; other parents do it in the morning if they have time."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 swim for pleasure or recreation wordnet
- 7 To apply water or other liquid to; to suffuse or cover with liquid. transitive
"She bathed her eyes with liquid to remove the stinging chemical."
- 8 To cover or surround. figuratively, intransitive, transitive
"The room was bathed in moonlight."
- 9 To sunbathe. intransitive
"The women bathed in the sun."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Beth told Chris to bathe or she will not agree to date him."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bathe"?
Common synonyms include: aquaplaning, aquatics, australian crawl, backstroke, baden, balneation.
How do you use "bathe" in a sentence?
Beth told Chris to bathe or she will not agree to date him.
How do you pronounce "bathe"?
Pronounced /beɪð/.
Etymology
From Middle English bathen, from Old English baþian (“to bathe, wash”), from Proto-West Germanic *baþōn, from Proto-Germanic *baþōną (“to bathe”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁- (“to warm”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian boadje (“to bathe”), Dutch baden (“to bathe”), German Low German baden (“to bathe”), German baden (“to bathe”), Danish bade (“to bathe”), Swedish bada (“to bathe”), Icelandic baða (“to bathe”). More at bath. Compare also bask.