Drenched

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /dɹɛnt͡ʃt/

Definitions

1. Soaked thoroughly with liquid, usually water or another fluid
2. Being covered or saturated with moisture to the fullest extent
3. Having absorbed or been flooded by a liquid, leaving no dryness

Etymology: Drenched began as a drink. Its root is Old English "drenċ," meaning a draught or potion, and it is a doublet of "drink," the two words splitting off from the same Germanic source. Medieval English stretched "drench" to cover a dose of medicine or even a poisoned cup, which is why the noun could mean an emetic as well as a beverage. The verb grew out of that noun. Old English "drenċan" meant to give someone a drink, and it is the causative of "drink," so to drench originally meant to make someone drink. Over time the sense moved from forcing liquid down a throat to pouring it over a body, and by the medieval period "drench" could mean to drown, flood, or soak. The past form "drenched" carries that later sense: a person or thing thoroughly wet all the way through.

Synonyms: soaked, saturated, wet, immersed

Antonyms: dry, parched