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Nowadays, seethed is the past tense and past participle form of the verb seethe (which originally meant "to boil or stew"). Originally, however, seethe could also be conjugated in the past tense as sod and in the past participle as sodden. By the 14th century, sodden had become an independent adjective synonymous with boiled. And, by the 16th century, it had taken on the figurative sense used to describe someone who appears dull, expressionless, or stupid, particularly as a result of heavy drinking. Today, sodden is commonly used as a synonym of soaked or saturated. Seethe followed a different figurative path: while one who is sodden may appear dull, torpid, or sluggish, one who is seething is highly agitated, like a pot of boiling water.
Synonyms
Examples of sodden in a Sentence
Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
There’s Amy’s vintage wardrobe, here resembling just-new bits; and the absurdity of glamorous Cynthia walking across the sodden muddy grass of Hampstead Heath (the shoes!).
—Sophie Wilkinson, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2024
A Special Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023
Gordon’s dresses, in shades of pink and blue — like party favors at a gender reveal — were too long and sodden with colored stones.
—Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for sodden 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sodden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sodden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sodden. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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