mindmap root((浸泡)) soak implies a usually prolonged immersion that results in a thorough wetting, softening, or dissolving: soak the clothes to remove the stains. saturate implies an absorption until no more liquid can be held: gym clothes ~d with sweat. drench implies a thorough wetting by something that may pour down or may be poured: the cloudburst ~ed us to the skin. steep suggests an immersion and soaking that results in the extraction of an essence by the liquid: ~ tea in boiling water. impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another: a cake strongly ~d with brandy.