# soak

> English word · Verb · IPA /səʊk/ · frequency rank #12,863

## Definitions
1. To be saturated with liquid by being immersed in it.
2. To immerse in liquid to the point of saturation or thorough permeation.
3. To penetrate or permeate by saturation.
4. To allow (especially a liquid) to be absorbed; to take in, receive. (usually + up)
5. To overcharge or swindle out of a large amount of money.
6. To drink intemperately or gluttonously.
7. To heat (a metal) before shaping it.
8. To hold a kiln at a particular temperature for a given period of time.
9. To absorb; to drain.
10. To engage in penetrative sex without hip thrusting.

## Etymology
From Middle English soken, from Old English socian (“to soak, steep”, literally “to cause to suck (up)”), from Proto-Germanic *sukōną (“to soak”), causative of Proto-Germanic *sūkaną (“to suck”). Cognate with Middle Dutch soken (“to cause to suck”). More at suck.

## Easily confused with
- **son** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-son)
- **spa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-spa)
- **sox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sox)
- **sol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sol)
- **soy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-soy)
- **sow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sow)
- **SOS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sos)
- **STA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sta)
- **SOB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sob)
- **sod** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sod)
- **som** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-som)
- **soe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-soe)
- **sop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sop)
- **soi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-soi)
- **sou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sou)
- **SSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-ssa)
- **sor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sor)
- **sot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sot)
- **sov** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-sov)
- **some** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/soak-vs-some)

## Common misspellings (5)
`osak`, `saok`, `soakk`, `soka`, `ssoak`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/soak