soaking
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.completely wet, all the way through.
adj.extremely wet; saturated to the point of being unable to absorb more liquid.
Simple“We got caught in the storm and our clothes were soaking by the time we got home.”
In context“The hikers arrived at the mountain hut with soaking boots and heavy spirits after navigating the flooded trail for six hours.”
PitfallI am soaking wet. I am soaking.While 'soaking wet' is a very common phrase, 'soaking' can be used alone as an adjective to mean the same thing.
- 02 C1 Advanced
adj.heavy rain that goes deep into the ground.
adj.describing rain that is heavy and persistent enough to penetrate deeply into the soil.
Simple“The garden really needed a soaking rain after the long, dry summer.”
In context“The agricultural report noted that a soaking rain would be necessary to restore moisture levels to the subsoil before the planting season began.”
Synonymsdrenchingpenetrating - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the act of leaving something in water for a long time.
n.the act or process of immersing something in liquid for a period of time, often to clean it or soften it.
Simple“The dirty pans need a good soaking in hot soapy water before you scrub them.”
In context“The recipe requires a twenty-four-hour soaking of the dried beans to ensure they cook evenly and achieve the desired texture.”
Synonymsimmersionsteeping
“Welsh said staff were "soaking to the skin with sweat working in the restaurant", and he also needed to change his sweat-soaked clothes after eating there.”
Inherited from Middle English soukynge. By surface analysis, soak + -ing. First attested in c. 1440 in the Promptorium parvulorum.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.