drenken

Drenken is a Dutch verb meaning to soak or drench something with a liquid, thereby making it thoroughly wet. It is used for people, clothing, objects, or surfaces that are made wet through rain, water, dye, or other liquids. The term emphasizes a high degree of wetness rather than light dampness. In English, it corresponds to drench or soak.

The verb is transitive and can describe both accidental and intentional wetting. Common contexts include rain or sprinklers drenching streets or clothing, fabrics being immersed in dye, or food being soaked in stock. The intensity can range from soaking through to full saturation. The past participle is gedrenkt, and the related adjective gedrenkt describes something that is drenched.

Etymology and language notes: Drenken originates in the Germanic language family and has cognates across Dutch and other Germanic languages. It is part of standard Dutch and is widely understood in Flanders and the Netherlands. The term should not be confused with similar verbs that imply lighter wetting, such as bevochtigen (to dampen) or nat worden (to get wet), which carry different nuances.