Definition

1. Adverb:

   • Extremely wet: To a degree of being thoroughly saturated with liquid.

2. Noun:

   • The act of making something completely wet: The action of drenching or saturating something.
   • The process of becoming softened and saturated: The consequence of being immersed in a liquid, allowing the liquid to penetrate.

Usage and Examples

• Adverb:

  • She was soaking wet after getting caught in the rain.
  • The towel was soaking and heavy with water.

• Noun:

  • The soaking of the beans overnight is necessary before cooking.
  • After a long soaking, the dried mud was easier to clean from the boots.

Advanced Usage

• "A good soaking": A thorough and prolonged period of being made wet, often to achieve a specific purpose like cleaning or rehydration.
  • The dry soil needs a good soaking to help the plants recover.

Variants and Related Words

• Soak (verb): To make something very wet by leaving it in liquid.
  • Soak the stained shirt in cold water.
• Soaked (adjective): Thoroughly wet.
  • His clothes were soaked through.
• Soaker (noun): A heavy rainstorm; or something used for soaking.
  • We got caught in a real soaker.

Synonyms

• Drenched: Thoroughly wet.
• Saturated: Holds as much water or moisture as can be absorbed.
• Soggy: Heavy with water; unpleasantly wet and soft.

Related Phrases

• Soaking up: (Phrasal verb from the root 'soak') To absorb liquid or, figuratively, to absorb information or an experience.
  • The sponge is soaking up the spill.
  • She spent the summer soaking up the local culture.

Adverb

1. extremely wet
   • dripping wet
   • soaking wet

Noun

1. washing something by allowing it to soak
2. the act of making something completely wet
   • he gave it a good drenching
3. the process of becoming softened and saturated as a consequence of being immersed in water (or other liquid)
   • a good soak put life back in the wagon