What does douse mean?
Douse is a verb meaning to drench or soak something thoroughly, typically by plunging it into water, or to extinguish a light or fire suddenly. It appears in everyday contexts such as dousing a campfire before bed, as well as in dramatic ones like protesters being doused with buckets of cold water. The word carries a sense of abruptness and thoroughness — whatever is doused is completely wetted or completely put out. It is common in nautical usage, where sailors douse sails to lower or furl them quickly. Though similar in sound to "dowse," which refers to searching for water with a rod, it is an unrelated word. Douse is versatile and vivid, lending itself naturally to both literal descriptions of soaking and figurative expressions about quenching enthusiasm or switching off lights. Its origins are obscure, though it likely arose from dialectal English in the early seventeenth century.
verbTo drench or soak something thoroughly, especially by plunging it into water; to extinguish or put out (a light or fire) suddenly.
- To drench or soak thoroughly, especially by immersion in water or another liquid.
- To extinguish or put out (a fire, light, or flame), often abruptly.
"She doused the campfire with a bucket of water before turning in for the night."
"The firefighters doused the burning warehouse with thousands of gallons of water."
"He doused his cigarette and stepped out into the rain."
Sailors have been "dousing" sails for centuries — and the same word that soaks you also snuffs out your lights.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of douse
The origin of "douse" is uncertain, but it emerged in English around the early seventeenth century, first recorded in nautical contexts. It may derive from a dialectal verb related to Middle Dutch "douwen," meaning to dip or plunge. Its earliest senses involved lowering or furling sails, from which the broader meanings of drenching and extinguishing developed.
Related word forms
How douse is actually used
Common and neutral in register; frequent in nautical contexts (dousing a sail) and in figurative uses such as "douse the lights." The noun form is rare.
Easily confused with douse
"Dowse" means to search for underground water with a divining rod, while "douse" means to drench in liquid or extinguish a light or fire; the two are distinct words despite identical pronunciation.