slake
/sleɪk/verb, noun
slake is spelled S-L-A-K-E: 5 letters. It appears about once in every 10 million words in written English, the 93,703rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, slake means “To satisfy (thirst, or other desires)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in slake?
| Letters | 5: S-L-A-K-E |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 10 million words; the 93,703rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is slake?
Slake appears about once in every 10 million words in written English, the 93,703rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce slake?
- UK /sleɪk/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-slake.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with slake?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as slake from its last stressed vowel (/eɪk/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of slake
- slakes present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- slaking participle, present
- slaked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does slake mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To satisfy (thirst, or other desires).
- 2
To cool (something) with water or another liquid.
- 3
To become mixed with water, so that a true chemical combination takes place.
The lime slakes.
- 4
To mix with water, so that a true chemical combination takes place.
to slake lime
- 5
obsoleteOf a person: to become less energetic, to slacken in one's efforts.
- 6
obsoleteTo slacken; to become relaxed or loose.
- 7
obsoleteTo become less intense; to weaken, decrease in force.
- 8
obsoleteTo go out; to become extinct.
- 9
ScotlandTo besmear.
noun
- 1
ScotlandA sloppy mess.
- 2
A slack, a tidal wetland.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Slake in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | étancher, rassasier |
| German | stillen, befriedigen, löschen, zufriedenstellen , abkühlen, kühlen |
| Portuguese | matar, saciar , apagar, extinguir |
| Spanish | saciar , apagar , aflojar , disminuir |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does slake come from?
From Middle English slaken (“to render slack, to slake”), from Old English sleacian, from Old English slæc (“slack”). Unrelated to, but possibly influenced by, the Old Norse sløkkva (“to extinguish”), compare Swedish släcka in the phrase släcka sin törst (“quench one's thirst”), släcka elden (“put out the fire”), and släckt kalk (“slaked lime”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).