What does soddened mean?
Sodden describes something that is completely or thoroughly wet. The word is especially used for clothing, people, and ground that have been exposed to rain or soaking, and it conveys a stronger condition than merely being damp. In literary and formal contexts, it can also describe surfaces or places that are saturated with moisture. A person might be called sodden after being caught in heavy rain, while a field might become sodden during a prolonged wet spell. The related verb means to make something thoroughly wet or to become saturated. Compared with soaked or drenched, sodden often has a more descriptive, literary quality and may suggest the lingering effects of wetness rather than simply the moment of immersion.
Completely or thoroughly wet; soaked.
"The path was sodden, and the horses splashed through muddy puddles."
Formal and literary; often used for people, clothing, ground, or surfaces saturated by water.
Past tense and past participle of sodden: to make completely wet or become saturated with water.
"The downpour soddened the hikers and the equipment they carried."
Usually used in the past tense or as a participle.
If you are soaked to the skin, you are not merely damp—you are sodden.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does soddened come from?
The word developed through the English adjective and verb sodden, both associated with being saturated with water. Its older English form was connected with a Germanic vocabulary for wet or sodden ground. The modern sense developed from the idea of an object or person that has been made completely wet.
Related word forms
How soddened is actually used
Sodden is formal and literary in tone. It is more emphatic than damp and often suggests that something has become thoroughly wet, although it can also describe ground that is waterlogged.
Easily confused with soddened
Sodden means thoroughly wet, whereas sudden means happening quickly or without warning.