# saturated

/ˈsætʃɝˌeɪtɪd/ (US) · /sˈætʃəɹˌeɪtɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/saturated
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. soaked with liquid

adjective · CEFR B2

completely wet or soaked through with a liquid.

For teachers: thoroughly soaked or drenched with moisture; unable to absorb further liquid.

- The heavy rain left the ground so saturated that large puddles formed on the lawn.
- After the pipes burst, the carpets became so saturated that they had to be completely removed to prevent mould growth.

### 2. completely full

adjective · CEFR B2

filled to the point where no more can be added.

For teachers: filled to capacity; used figuratively to describe a state where no further input can be accommodated.

- The market is saturated with coffee shops, so it is hard for a new one to succeed.
- By the end of the decade, the domestic smartphone market was saturated, forcing manufacturers to look for growth in emerging economies.

### 3. chemical concentration

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

containing the maximum amount of a substance that can be dissolved.

For teachers: containing the maximum amount of solute that can be dissolved in a solvent at a given temperature and pressure.

- If you keep adding sugar to the cold tea, the liquid will eventually become saturated.
- The chemist prepared a saturated salt solution to test the rate of crystal growth under controlled laboratory conditions.

### 4. organic chemistry

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

a type of fat or chemical that has only single bonds between its atoms.

For teachers: referring to organic compounds, particularly fats, containing only single bonds between carbon atoms and thus holding the maximum number of hydrogen atoms.

- Doctors often recommend eating fewer saturated fats to keep your heart healthy.
- Saturated fatty acids are typically solid at room temperature, unlike their unsaturated counterparts found in vegetable oils.

### 5. colour intensity

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

having a very bright, deep, or strong colour.

For teachers: possessing a high degree of chroma or purity; free from dilution by white or grey.

- The artist used saturated reds and yellows to make the sunset look more dramatic.
- The director chose a highly saturated colour palette for the film to evoke a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere.

## Examples

- The heavy rain left the ground completely saturated.
- After years of aggressive expansion, the smartphone market is now saturated and growth has slowed.
- The soil became so saturated during the monsoon season that it lost its structural integrity, eventually leading to a series of minor landslides along the valley.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.