variants
or less commonly dowse
doused also dowsed; dousing also dowsing
1
: to plunge into water
Blanch the green beans then douse them in a bath of ice water.
2
3
[originally in argot use (douse the glim meaning "extinguish the light") and perhaps of distinct origin]
: extinguish
douse the lights
douse the blaze
: to fall or become plunged into water
douser
noun
or less commonly dowser
doused; dousing
Synonyms
Verb (1)
Noun (2)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of douse in a Sentence
Verb (1)
in those days a gentleman would douse his hat when going indoors
Noun (2)
those soccer hooligans need a sound douse or two from a police officer's club
Recent Examples on the Web
Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Plus, some of these scalp serums and sprays come with extra perks, like lending hair a reflective shine or dousing it in a delightful scent.
—Jenny Berg, Allure, 1 Nov. 2024
Joann Muller, Axios, 8 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, botanical ingredients such as baobab seed extract and Kakadu plum douse the hair with moisture.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 28 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for douse 
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Verb
The setup and relationship dynamics are familiar, but what sets this story apart is that Ranma is a boy whose body turns into a girl’s when doused with cold water because of a mishap during a training trip with his father (hot water turns him back).
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Plus, some of these scalp serums and sprays come with extra perks, like lending hair a reflective shine or dousing it in a delightful scent.
—Jenny Berg, Allure, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
New parking garages are now required to have automatic sprinkler systems, but EV fires require at least twice as much water to douse, which means water supplies could be an issue.
—Joann Muller, Axios, 8 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, botanical ingredients such as baobab seed extract and Kakadu plum douse the hair with moisture.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 28 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for douse
Dictionary Entries Near douse
Cite this Entry
“Douse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/douse. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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