Douse — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈdau̇s/ (verb) /ˈdüs/ (noun)

Meaning & Definition of Douse

Douse (verb)

  1. to plunge into water
  2. to throw a liquid on, drench
  3. slosh
  4. to take in, lower, strike
  5. slacken
  6. take off, doff

Douse (noun)

  1. a heavy drenching
  2. blow, stroke

Douse (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to cease burning

    "douse the campfire before leaving in the morning"

    similar: blanket, extinguish, put out, quench, snuff (out)
    related: choke, smother, suffocate, blow out, rub out, snub (out), stamp (out), stub
    opposite: fire, ignite, inflame, kindle, light

  2. to make wet

    "the heavy rains thoroughly doused the tourists strolling the town streets"

    similar: bathe, bedraggle, drench, drown, soak, sodden, sop, souse, wash, water, water-soak, waterlog, wet, wet down
    related: asperse, bedew, damp, dampen, drizzle, humidify, hydrate, mist, moisten, moisturize, shower, sprinkle, deluge, flood, hose (down), inundate, overflow, submerge, swamp, splash, impregnate, saturate, steep, flush, irrigate, lave, rinse, slosh, sluice, dip, duck, dunk, rehydrate, rewash, rewet
    opposite: dehydrate, desiccate, dry, parch, scorch, sear
    near: dewater, evaporate, freeze-dry, drip-dry, wring, dehumidify

  3. to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid

    "douse the grapes in water to remove any grit"

    similar: dip, duck, dunk, immerse, sop, souse, submerge, submerse
    related: bathe, moisten, soak, steep, wet, drench, drown, flood, dive, plunge, thrust

  4. to rid oneself of (a garment)

    "in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors"

    similar: doff, peel (off), put off, remove, shrug off, take off
    related: husk, shed, kick (off), disrobe, strip, undress
    opposite: don, put on, slip (into), throw (on)
    near: wear, apparel, array, attire, bedeck, clothe, dress, garb, rig, robe, suit

Douse (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument

    "those soccer hooligans need a sound douse or two from a police officer's club"

    similar: 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
    related: counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke, body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut, cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO, bastinado, battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling, drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Douse

The most common words with a similar meaning to Douse:

Dialect: larrup
blanket, extinguish, put out, quench, snuff (out), bathe, bedraggle, drench, drown, soak, sodden, sop, souse, wash, water, water-soak, waterlog, wet, wet down, dip, duck, dunk, immerse, submerge, submerse, doff, peel (off), put off, remove, shrug off, take off, bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, box

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Douse

Words with the opposite meaning of Douse:

fire, ignite, inflame, kindle, light, dehydrate, desiccate, dry, parch, scorch, sear, don, put on, slip (into), throw (on)

Related Words for Douse

choke, smother, suffocate, blow out, rub out, snub (out), stamp (out), stub, asperse, bedew, damp, dampen, drizzle, humidify, hydrate, mist, moisten, moisturize, shower, sprinkle, deluge, flood, hose (down), inundate, overflow, swamp, splash, impregnate, saturate, steep

Near Antonyms of Douse

dewater, evaporate, freeze-dry, drip-dry, wring, dehumidify, wear, apparel, array, attire, bedeck, clothe, dress, garb, rig, robe, suit

Word Forms of Douse

Inflections: doused, dowsed, dousing, dowsing

Derived words: douser (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Douse

of obscure origin

First known use: 1566t

Frequently Asked Questions about Douse

What does "Douse" mean?

"Douse" means to plunge into water. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to plunge into water. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Douse"?

Other words for "Douse" include blanket, extinguish, put out, quench, snuff (out), bathe, bedraggle and drench. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Douse" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Douse"?

There are 176 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Douse". Common alternatives include blanket, extinguish, put out, quench, snuff (out), bathe, bedraggle, drench, drown and soak.

What is the opposite of "Douse"?

Antonyms of "Douse" include fire, ignite, inflame, kindle, light, dehydrate, desiccate and dry. Near antonyms include dewater, evaporate, freeze-dry and drip-dry.

How do you use "Douse" in a sentence?

Examples of "Douse" in a sentence: "douse the campfire before leaving in the morning"; "the heavy rains thoroughly doused the tourists strolling the town streets"; "douse the grapes in water to remove any grit".

Is "Douse" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Douse" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Douse"?

"Douse" is pronounced /ˈdau̇s/ as a verb and /ˈdüs/ as a noun.

What is the origin of the word "Douse"?

"Douse" comes from of obscure origin. First known use: 1566t.