Definition

Adjective 1. Thoroughly soaked; saturated with liquid: Describes something that is extremely wet, often to the point of being heavy with moisture. 2. Dull, stupid, or expressionless, especially from habitual drinking: Describes a person who appears mentally sluggish or inert, often due to excessive alcohol consumption. (This sense is less common and often considered dated or literary.)

Examples of Usage

• Adjective (Thoroughly soaked):

  • After the storm, the ground was completely sodden and muddy.
  • He took off his sodden shoes and socks.
  • The sodden leaves made the path slippery.

• Adjective (Dull or expressionless):

  • He gave a sodden, uninterested look when asked the question. (This usage is less frequent in modern English.)

Advanced Usage

• "Sodden with": This phrase is used to emphasize what something is saturated with, which can be literal (liquid) or figurative (an emotion or quality).
  • The cake was sodden with syrup.
  • Her voice was sodden with grief. (Figurative, literary use)

Variants and Related Words

• Soddenness (noun): The state or quality of being sodden.
  • The soddenness of the soil prevented planting.

Synonyms

• Soaked: Wet through.
• Saturated: Holding as much water or moisture as can be absorbed.
• Drenched: Wet thoroughly, especially by rain.
• Soggy: Heavy with water; waterlogged.
• Sopping: Extremely wet; dripping.

Antonyms

• Dry: Free from moisture or liquid.
• Arid: Lacking moisture, especially having little or no rain.
• Parched: Dried out with heat; extremely thirsty.

Notes on Usage

• The primary and most common meaning of sodden in contemporary English is "thoroughly wet."
• The secondary meaning related to a dull or drunken state is now considered archaic or literary and is rarely used in everyday conversation.

Adjective

1. wet through and through; thoroughly wet
   • stood at the door drenched (or soaked) by the rain
   • the speaker's sodden collar
   • soppy clothes