Word
Definition
v. to wash yourself or someone else in a bath. It can also mean to swim in a river or the sea for fun.
v. to wash by immersion in water; to swim or spend time in a body of water for pleasure.
Examples
“I bathe the baby every evening before bed.”
“During the hot summer months, many locals bathe in the cool waters of the nearby lake to escape the heat.”
“The ritual required the participants to bathe in the sacred spring before entering the temple grounds, symbolizing a spiritual cleansing of the soul.”
Examples
simple
“I bathe the baby every evening before bed.”
contextual
“During the hot summer months, many locals bathe in the cool waters of the nearby lake to escape the heat.”
complex
“The ritual required the participants to bathe in the sacred spring before entering the temple grounds, symbolizing a spiritual cleansing of the soul.”
Usage
The verb is transitive when washing someone else and intransitive when swimming or washing oneself.
Pitfall
I need to bath the dog.
I need to bathe the dog.
In American English, 'bath' is the noun and 'bathe' is the verb. In British English, 'bath' can be a verb, but 'bathe' is the standard form for swimming or washing others.
Etymology
From Middle English bathen, from Old English baþian (“to bathe, wash”), from Proto-West Germanic baþōn, from Proto-Germanic baþōną (“to bathe”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁- (“to warm”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian boadje (“to bathe”), Dutch baden (“to bathe”), German Low German baden (“to bathe”), German baden (“to bathe”), Danish bade (“to bathe”), Swedish bada (“to bathe”), Icelandic baða (“to bathe”). More at bath. Compare also bask.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/bathe
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0