Vocab5000
Dictionary CEFR Levels IELTS & TOEFL Expressions Confusing Words Games Download App

Meaning

To immerse or saturate something in a liquid, often to facilitate a chemical or physical change, or to absorb a quality or characteristic, typically over an extended period of time, thereby enhancing its properties or effects.
💡 While "soak" can refer to the act of immersing in liquid, it is often misused in informal contexts where the connotation of thoroughness or depth is implied but not achieved; care should be taken to maintain its precise meaning in academic discourse.

Example Sentences

Please soak the documents in the scanner for better clarity .
Please soak the documents in water before shredding them .
Please soak the vegetables in water before cooking them .
The researchers soak the samples in solution to extract proteins .

Word in Context

Maya noticed a stubborn coffee stain on her cotton blouse and decided to soak it in warm water with a mild detergent . She believed that prolonged saturation would help the fibres absorb the cleaning agents and loosen the residue without damaging the delicate weave . Every hour she returned to gently agitate the fabric with her fingers to encourage the stain to lift , a patient but effective method . After several hours the mark had visibly faded , though a faint shadow persisted near the seam . She rinsed the blouse thoroughly , inspected the texture to ensure there was no stiffness from the detergent , and then hung it so it could dry naturally . By the next morning the blouse looked fresh enough to wear , which reassured her that careful treatment had preserved both the colour and the shape .

Common Phrases

soak up knowledge soak in the atmosphere soak the fabric

Synonyms

Never forget "soak"

Set a daily goal, reinforce with word cards and games, and track your progress in the Vocab5000 app — learn every C1 level word permanently with our science-based repetition system.

Vocab5000