as in alcoholic
a person who makes a habit of getting drunk
an old souse who lumbered home with a full bottle of gin in him every night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to wet
to make wet
a passing car barreled through the puddle and soused us good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to soak
to wet thoroughly with liquid
firefighters soused the neighboring houses so that they wouldn't catch fire as well
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of souse
Laura Begley Bloom, AFAR Media, 10 Mar. 2025
Taste traditional home cooking If fish is for Friday, the traditional Bajan dish of pudding and souse is the staple of Saturday.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The meat in souse is first tenderized through boiling and then marinated in lime, cucumbers, peppers and seasonings to pickled perfection.
—Essence, 25 Nov. 2024
Guests were treated to local specialties like fresh conch salad, crack conch fritters, curry goat, chicken souse and more, with a side of carnival vibes and traditional music and dance performances.
—Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
Similarly, the Grenadian dish of saltfish souse, where flaked saltfish and crunchy peppers top fluffy baking powder biscuits, reminds us of the ubiquity of saltfish in the transatlantic slave trade.
—Jessica Carbone, Saveur, 29 Feb. 2024
While assembling these souse and bakes, the complex history of the Caribbean comes into full view, as does the resilience of Grenadians who have turned the foods of their oppression such as saltfish into profoundly beautiful, delicious dishes.
—Lelani Lewis, Saveur, 29 Feb. 2024
The caterers served roti and jerk and pelau and souse.
—Victoria Brown, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 Feb. 2021
Danielle Teller, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
The athletes were unwinding in the locker room when Coach Mark Few and his assistants charged in and began sousing them with ice-cold water.
—Andrew Keh, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023
And then there’s the soy sauce that gets soused over everything to improve bad food in a cheap restaurant.
—Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN, 5 Mar. 2023
Noun
For another Grand Turk specialty, chicken souse served with journey (called johnnycake on other Caribbean islands), Been suggests the deli at the Graceway Grand Turk or the Spot at the JAGS McCartney Airport, which serves the dish on Saturdays.
—Laura Begley Bloom, AFAR Media, 10 Mar. 2025
Taste traditional home cooking If fish is for Friday, the traditional Bajan dish of pudding and souse is the staple of Saturday.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The meat in souse is first tenderized through boiling and then marinated in lime, cucumbers, peppers and seasonings to pickled perfection.
—Essence, 25 Nov. 2024
Guests were treated to local specialties like fresh conch salad, crack conch fritters, curry goat, chicken souse and more, with a side of carnival vibes and traditional music and dance performances.
—Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
Similarly, the Grenadian dish of saltfish souse, where flaked saltfish and crunchy peppers top fluffy baking powder biscuits, reminds us of the ubiquity of saltfish in the transatlantic slave trade.
—Jessica Carbone, Saveur, 29 Feb. 2024
While assembling these souse and bakes, the complex history of the Caribbean comes into full view, as does the resilience of Grenadians who have turned the foods of their oppression such as saltfish into profoundly beautiful, delicious dishes.
—Lelani Lewis, Saveur, 29 Feb. 2024
The caterers served roti and jerk and pelau and souse.
—Victoria Brown, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 Feb. 2021
Verb
The party scenes are tawdry, with flappers frenetically jiggling, their underwear peeking out and soused guests making spectacles of themselves.
—Danielle Teller, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
The athletes were unwinding in the locker room when Coach Mark Few and his assistants charged in and began sousing them with ice-cold water.
—Andrew Keh, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023
And then there’s the soy sauce that gets soused over everything to improve bad food in a cheap restaurant.
—Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN, 5 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for souse
Noun
-
Leonard was an alcoholic whose drinking began in high school.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
-
Pete’s brother, a former hockey player who misses his glory days, is an alcoholic who cares for the family’s large mink farm.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
15 June 2025
Verb
-
Traditional evaporators don’t work well in wet weather, but this new material stands up much better to wetting and drying, just like the rainforest birds that inspired it.—
Ian Rose,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 June 2025
-
Use a garden hose or power washer to thoroughly wet the rug.—
Karen Grossman,
Southern Living,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
The data from the monitors has helped district scientists find patterns about the gas: concentrations typically skyrocket at night and the higher emissions are lasting longer before dipping to levels the state says won’t cause a nuisance.—
Tammy Murga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
-
As for having children, 37.7 percent of childless respondents expressed the intention to do so—up 5.1 points—while the willingness to do so dipped slightly among those with at least one child, citing the costs and challenges of child rearing.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Valenzuela adds that watering in the morning ensures there's sufficient time for the water to soak deep into the soil before the heat of the day.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
10 July 2025
-
The colorful upper is breathable and moisture-wicking to keep your feet from getting sweaty or soaked by rain.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
What amazing feats the confidence of the drunk can accomplish.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 May 2025
-
Sometimes rough language is all a drunk can understand.—
Charles Elliott,
Outdoor Life,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
On Saturday in Porter County, a father, 65, and his 20-year-old son drowned in Lake Michigan.—
Sophie Levenson,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
-
The campers drowned when their bus attempted to evacuate them and was overtaken by floodwater.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Roth did not duck then and has not ducked, hedged or wavered since.—
John T. Shaw,
Twin Cities,
10 July 2025
-
Once that one finished, and the racing got going, Verstappen and Piastri battled for first place – Verstappen ducking and weaving all over the track to defend his position, though ultimately Piastri passed the Red Bull driver relatively easily.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
And Chicago might get drenched again on Sunday, if those forecasts are correct.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
-
For the second time in one day, my body was drenched, but my feet remained dry.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Souse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/souse. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share