Synonym Chooser

How is the word impregnate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of impregnate are drench, saturate, soak, and steep. While all these words mean "to permeate or be permeated with a liquid," impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

When could drench be used to replace impregnate?

While in some cases nearly identical to impregnate, drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

When might saturate be a better fit than impregnate?

The words saturate and impregnate can be used in similar contexts, but saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

Where would soak be a reasonable alternative to impregnate?

While the synonyms soak and impregnate are close in meaning, soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

In what contexts can steep take the place of impregnate?

In some situations, the words steep and impregnate are roughly equivalent. However, steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (such as a color) to the thing immersed.

steep the tea for five minutes

Examples of impregnate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Then, the sperm sample can be used in artificial insemination techniques like in vitro fertilization (IVF) to impregnate your partner. Wendy Wisner, Health, 18 Sep. 2024 Read: Why Prometheus deserves to be taken seriously That powerlessness also manifests in matters of biology: Any person, of any gender, can fall victim to the facehugger, the nascent form of the xenomorph that impregnates its targets by wrapping its body around their face and inserting an egg. Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024 Soon, those facehuggers are skittering all over the dimly lit corridors, jumping on people's faces, and impregnating them with other little aliens eager to burst out of chests. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2024 The battery consists of a magnesium anode and a silver chloride cathode, which are separated by a layer of cellulose impregnated with sodium chloride. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for impregnate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impregnate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near impregnate

Cite this Entry

“Impregnate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impregnate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on impregnate

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