What does "douse" mean?
A sudden plunging into water.
Douse
/daʊs/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sudden plunging into water.
- Grammar: douse is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: drench, soak, bang, baptize.
- Useful contrasts: blazes, bonfire, brule.
- Usage evidence: You can douse a grease fire by covering the pan with a lid.
How to use "douse"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "douse" 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 "douse" 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 "douse" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "douse" 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 "douse" is acting as name, noun, verb 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 "drench" 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 "douse", 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 A sudden plunging into water.
"In winter a douse in cold water helps the looks and adds to the style of the carcass, but they should be thoroughly dried before packing."
- 2 A blow or strike, especially to the face.
Verb
- 1 To plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse. ambitransitive
"Set fire to your matches! / Douse them in gasoline!"
- 2 To strike, beat, or thrash. transitive
- 3 cover with liquid; pour liquid onto wordnet
- 4 To fall suddenly into water. intransitive
"swing i' th'air, or douse in water"
- 5 To strike or lower in haste; to slacken suddenly transitive
"Douse the topsail!"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 slacken wordnet
- 7 To put out; to extinguish. transitive
"The man who doused the fire was told to put the remainder of the coal into the bucket and then give the bucket to the soldier."
- 8 lower quickly wordnet
- 9 immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate wordnet
- 10 dip into a liquid wordnet
- 11 wet thoroughly wordnet
- 12 put out, as of a candle or a light wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"You can douse a grease fire by covering the pan with a lid."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "douse"?
Common synonyms include: drench, soak, bang, baptize, bash, bat.
How do you use "douse" in a sentence?
You can douse a grease fire by covering the pan with a lid.
How do you pronounce "douse"?
Pronounced /daʊs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Probably of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish dunsa (“to plumb down, fall clumsily”), Danish dunse (“to thump”). Compare Old English dwǣsċan (“to extinguish”) and douse below.
Etymology 2
From Middle English duschen, dusshen (“to rush, fall”), related to Norwegian dusa (“to break, cast down from”), Old Dutch doesen (“to beat, strike”), dialectal German tusen, dusen (“to strike, run against, collide”), Saterland Frisian dössen (“to strike”). Compare doss, dust.