bathe

1 of 2

verb

ˈbāt͟h How to pronounce bathe (audio)
bathed; bathing
Synonyms of bathenext

transitive verb

1
: moisten, wet
2
: to wash in a liquid (such as water)
3
: to apply water or a liquid medicament to
4
: to flow along the edge of : lave
5
: to suffuse with or as if with light

intransitive verb

1
: to take a bath
2
: to go swimming
3
: to become immersed or absorbed
bather
ˈbā-t͟hər How to pronounce bathe (audio)
noun

bathe

2 of 2

noun

1
British : bath entry 1 sense 1
2
British : swim, dip

Synonyms of bathe

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Verb

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Examples of bathe in a Sentence

Verb the cool waters of the North Atlantic bathe the island's shores bathe your contact lens with the solution before inserting them Noun We went for a bathe in the sea.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Tracing Saint’s rise and fall over six seasons, the final episode was bathed in tragedy. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Leah was the parent who fed the children, changed their diapers, bathed them, and planned to homeschool them. — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 The cinematography captures the lush expanse of the desert and bathes the characters in dark blues while never leaving the frame murky, and the use of steadicam and exaggerated zoom-ins plants the film’s feet more firmly in its ’80s inspirations. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2026 This group of women travelled for more than 30 hours with their guru to bathe in the river. — Photovogue, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bathe

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English bathian; akin to Old English bæth bath

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bathe was before the 12th century

Rhymes for bathe

See All Rhymes for bathe

Browse Nearby Words

Bath coup
bathe
bathed in sweat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bathe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bathe. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

bathe

verb
ˈbāt͟h
bathed; bathing
1
: to take a bath
2
: to go swimming
3
: to give a bath to
bathe the baby
4
: to apply a liquid to
bathe the eyes
5
: to cover with or as if with a liquid
a scene bathed in moonlight
bather
ˈbā-t͟hər
noun

Medical Definition

bathe

1 of 2 verb
ˈbāt͟h How to pronounce bathe (audio)
bathed; bathing

transitive verb

1
: to wash in a liquid (as water)
2
: to apply water or a liquid medicament to
bathe the eye with warm water

intransitive verb

: to take a bath

bathe

2 of 2 noun
British
: the act or action of bathing : bath
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