sodden
/'sɔdn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective 1. Thoroughly soaked; saturated with liquid: Describes something that is extremely wet, often to the point of being heavy with moisture. 2. Dull, stupid, or expressionless, especially from habitual drinking: Describes a person who appears mentally sluggish or inert, often due to excessive alcohol consumption. (This sense is less common and often considered dated or literary.)
Examples of Usage
Adjective (Thoroughly soaked):
- After the storm, the ground was completely sodden and muddy.
- He took off his sodden shoes and socks.
- The sodden leaves made the path slippery.
Adjective (Dull or expressionless):
- He gave a sodden, uninterested look when asked the question. (This usage is less frequent in modern English.)
Advanced Usage
- "Sodden with": This phrase is used to emphasize what something is saturated with, which can be literal (liquid) or figurative (an emotion or quality).
- The cake was sodden with syrup.
- Her voice was sodden with grief. (Figurative, literary use)
Variants and Related Words
- Soddenness (noun): The state or quality of being sodden.
- The soddenness of the soil prevented planting.
Synonyms
- Soaked: Wet through.
- Saturated: Holding as much water or moisture as can be absorbed.
- Drenched: Wet thoroughly, especially by rain.
- Soggy: Heavy with water; waterlogged.
- Sopping: Extremely wet; dripping.
Antonyms
- Dry: Free from moisture or liquid.
- Arid: Lacking moisture, especially having little or no rain.
- Parched: Dried out with heat; extremely thirsty.
Notes on Usage
- The primary and most common meaning of sodden in contemporary English is "thoroughly wet."
- The secondary meaning related to a dull or drunken state is now considered archaic or literary and is rarely used in everyday conversation.
Adjective
- wet through and through; thoroughly wet
- stood at the door drenched (or soaked) by the rain
- the speaker's sodden collar
- soppy clothes