SOUSE Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

souse 1 of 2

noun

Definition of souse

as in alcoholic

a person who makes a habit of getting drunk an old souse who lumbered home with a full bottle of gin in him every night

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

souse

2 of 2

verb

ˈsau̇s

as in to wet

to make wet a passing car barreled through the puddle and soused us good

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to dip

to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid repeatedly soused the tools in the tub to get the dirt off

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to soak

to wet thoroughly with liquid firefighters soused the neighboring houses so that they wouldn't catch fire as well

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of souse

Noun

Both actors were the sons of souses (Dick Hopkins, on retiring from the baking trade, opened a pub), and the stuff was in their bloodstream. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 Mars in your sign only happens every two years, souse this time wisely. — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 3 Aug. 2025 For another Grand Turk specialty, chicken souse served with journey (called johnnycake on other Caribbean islands), Been suggests the deli at the Graceway Grand Turk or the Spot at the JAGS McCartney Airport, which serves the dish on Saturdays. — Laura Begley Bloom, AFAR Media, 10 Mar. 2025 Taste traditional home cooking If fish is for Friday, the traditional Bajan dish of pudding and souse is the staple of Saturday. — Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025 Guests were treated to local specialties like fresh conch salad, crack conch fritters, curry goat, chicken souse and more, with a side of carnival vibes and traditional music and dance performances. — Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 While assembling these souse and bakes, the complex history of the Caribbean comes into full view, as does the resilience of Grenadians who have turned the foods of their oppression such as saltfish into profoundly beautiful, delicious dishes. — Lelani Lewis, Saveur, 29 Feb. 2024

Verb

At the reception, everyone sat at tables named for Italian directors and feasted on dishes like linguine with baby squid and soused trout by chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo. — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 Mars in your sign only happens every two years, souse this time wisely. — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 3 Aug. 2025 The party scenes are tawdry, with flappers frenetically jiggling, their underwear peeking out and soused guests making spectacles of themselves. — Danielle Teller, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025 The athletes were unwinding in the locker room when Coach Mark Few and his assistants charged in and began sousing them with ice-cold water. — Andrew Keh, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023 And then there’s the soy sauce that gets soused over everything to improve bad food in a cheap restaurant. — Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN, 5 Mar. 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for souse

Noun

Dad is an abusive alcoholic, prone to berating and even assaulting his daughter in front of guests, of which Vangelio is currently the only one.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
Evidence increasingly suggests alcohol is so toxic that no amount is truly risk-free — regardless of whether somebody is an alcoholic or not.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of alcoholic

Verb

Havenith said deliberately wetting clothing can provide evaporative cooling, including for older adults who may not sweat as effectively.

— Aya Diab, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
For best results, water deeply at the base of the plant, allowing moisture to soak into the root zone rather than wetting the foliage, says Kelly Funk, president and CEO of Jackson & Perkins.

— Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of wet

Verb

The gathered detailing on the backrest of this velvety loveseat looks as if the couch was dipped in chocolate.

— Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
After dipping its toes into beauty, Old Navy has refined its strategy and is gearing up for a nationwide rollout.

— Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of dip

Verb

Palace workers also collected cards soaked after a nightly downpour and dried them to preserve the mourners’ messages for posterity, NRK reported.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Excess moisture is the biggest concern, so avoid soaking the surface and dry it thoroughly after cleaning.

— Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of soak

Verb

Deputies riding Sea-Doos on July 18 rescued three swimmers not wearing life jackets who were close to drowning on Petite Lake in unincorporated Lake Villa.

— Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
The turbine room could have filled with water if the emergency shutdown systems failed, potentially drowning anyone inside.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of drown

Verb

In another part of the study, the research team saw that fat cells behaved differently when drenched with blood collected from the HIIT folks, including changes involved in many genes that regulate fat and whole-body metabolism.

— Will Stone, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026
Le Creuset modeled the color after stone château rooftops and the morning mist that drenches the countryside in a gentle gray hue.

— Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of drench

Verb

People pointed to enormous rocks that had been washed downriver during the earlier floods, as others standing on a suspension bridge over the water were warned off with whistles.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Some pointed to enormous rocks washed downriver during the earlier floods, while others standing on a suspension bridge were warned off with whistles.

— Victoria Milko, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of wash

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Style

“Souse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/souse. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of souse

noun

verb

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