What does lathered mean?
Lathered usually describes a person or animal covered in foam, particularly soap lather, or soaked in sweat. The word vividly suggests a wet, visibly worked-over surface, as in a lathered horse after a hard ride or a runner lathered with sweat. It can also be used informally to mean extremely tired: after an exhausting shift, someone may say they are lathered. This broader sense conveys not merely fatigue but depletion after sustained effort. Although the literal and figurative uses are related through the image of someone covered after hard physical work, they are not restricted to physical exertion. Lathered is the past participle and adjective form of lather, a word particularly associated with soap, shaving, and horses.
adjectiveCovered in foam or lather; drenched in sweat. Informally, it can also mean extremely tired or exhausted.
- Covered or saturated with lather, especially the foam produced by soap and water.
- Drenched in sweat.
- Informally, extremely tired or exhausted.
"After the race, the runners stood lathered with sweat."
"The child emerged from the bath lathered with soap bubbles."
"By the end of the climb, we were lathered with sweat and out of breath."
The same word can describe someone covered in soap, drenched in sweat, or—in informal use—completely worn out.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lathered come from?
The underlying noun lather is a Middle English word borrowed from Old Norse lathir, meaning foam or froth. It developed into English through words describing the froth produced by soap, water, or vigorous movement. Related forms survive in several Germanic languages, including Dutch lader and Swedish löd. The adjective lathered developed by adding the usual participial ending to lather.
Related word forms
How lathered is actually used
The exhaustion sense is informal and especially common in speech. In its literal senses, the word commonly describes a person, animal, or surface covered in sweat or foam.