wash
[verb]
Synonyms:
- clean, bathe, cleanse, launder, rinse, scrub
- sweep away, bear away, carry off, move
- be plausible, bear scrutiny, be convincing, carry weight, hold up, hold water, stand up, stick
[noun]
Synonyms:
- cleaning, cleansing, laundering, rinse, scrub
- coat, coating, film, layer, overlay
- swell, surge, wave

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English Thesaurus: clean, wash, wipe, scrub, rinse, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

Wash, the
a wide bay (=an area of sea that curves inwards towards the land) on the east coast of England between Norfolk and Lincolnshire

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. wash¹ S1 W3 /wɒʃ $ wɒːʃ, wɑːʃ/ verb
[Word Family: noun: wash, washer, washing; adjective: washable, unwashed; verb: wash]
[Language: Old English; Origin: wascan]

1. WASH SOMETHING [transitive] to clean something using water and a type of soap:
This shirt needs washing.
It’s your turn to wash the dishes.

2. WASH YOURSELF [intransitive and transitive] to clean your body with soap and water:
Amy washed and went to bed.
She had a hot bath and washed her hair.
I’m just going to wash my hands.
wash yourself
When a cat has finished eating, it often washes itself.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say that someone has a wash (BrE) or washes up (AmE) rather than washes.

3. FLOW [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] if a river, sea etc washes somewhere, or if something carried by the river or sea is washed somewhere, it flows or moves there:
The waves washed against the shore.
The sea washed over her.
The young man was washed overboard (=pushed from a boat into the sea by the force of the water) in the storm.
The body was washed ashore (=brought to the shore by waves).

4. something doesn’t/won’t wash (with somebody) spoken used to say that you do not believe or accept someone’s explanation, reason, attitude etc:
I’m sorry but all his charm just doesn’t wash with me.

5. wash your hands of something to refuse to be responsible for something any more:
I’ve washed my hands of the whole affair.

6. wash your mouth out! spoken old-fashioned used to tell someone who has just sworn or said something rude that they should not have spoken that way

7. wash well to be easy to clean using soap and water:
Silk doesn’t wash well.
⇒ wash/air your dirty linen/laundry (in public) at dirty¹(7)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. wash² noun
[Word Family: noun: wash, washer, washing; adjective: washable, unwashed; verb: wash]

1. ACT OF CLEANING [countable usually singular] an act of cleaning something using soap and water:
Those jeans need a good wash (=a thorough wash).
I’ll just have a quick wash before we go out.

2. CLOTHES [singular, uncountable] clothes that are to be washed, are being washed, or have just been washed:
You’d better put that shirt in the wash.
Do you need me to put another wash on?

3. SKIN [countable] a liquid used to clean your skin:
an anti-bacterial facial wash

4. BOAT the wash the movement of water caused by a passing boat:
the wash of a large motorboat

5. COLOUR [countable] a very thin transparent layer of paint or colour

6. AREA OF LAND the wash the area of land that is sometimes covered by the sea

7. it will all come out in the wash spoken
a) used to tell someone not to worry about a problem because it will be solved in the future
b) used to say that the truth about something will be known in the end

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

Wash.
a written abbreviation of Washington

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

wash
noun
ADJ. good | quick | car
VERB + WASH have He had a quick wash and shave.
do I'm doing a dark wash (= washing all the dark clothes together).
could do with, need That car could do with a good wash.
PREP. in the ~ (= being washed or waiting to be washed) Your shirt's in the wash.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

wash
verb
ADV. carefully, properly, thoroughly | gently She gently washed and dressed the wound.
quickly
PHRASES freshly/newly washed the smell of freshly washed hair

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

wash
verb
BAD: I wash my body and then get dressed.
GOOD: I have a bath/shower and then get dressed.
BAD: He's gone upstairs to wash.
GOOD: He's gone upstairs to have a wash.

Usage Note:
When you talk about someone washing themselves, you usually use have a wash/bath/shower : 'I always feel better after I've had a good wash.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

clean to remove dirt from something:
I need to clean the car.
Clean the mud off your shoes.
wash to clean something with water and usually soap:
She’s washing her hair.
There’s nowhere to wash your clothes.
wipe to clean a surface with a cloth, often a wet cloth:
Wipe the worktop when you’ve finished cooking.
scrub to wash something by rubbing it hard, especially with a brush:
They made her scrub the floor.
rinse to remove dirt from something using water, especially after washing it with soap:
Rinse your hair thoroughly after shampooing it.
cleanse formal to clean your skin, using water or a special cream:
There are many products available for cleansing your skin.
bathe /beɪð/ to clean a wound or a part of your body with water:
Bathe the cut and put a plaster on it.
do the dishes (also do the washing-up British English) to wash plates and pans after a meal:
Who’s going to help me do the dishes?
do the laundry (also do the washing British English) to wash clothes:
On Tuesdays, he does the washing.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

clean without any dirt or marks:
They need clean water to drink.
I don’t have any clean clothes.
pure water or air that is pure does not contain any dirt, pollution, or bacteria:
I breathed in the pure mountain air.
sterile /ˈsteraɪl $ -rəl/ completely clean, with no bacteria, and therefore safe for medical or scientific use:
Place a sterile bandage on the wound.
sterile needles
spotless completely clean – used mainly about rooms and clothes:
Her kitchen is always spotless.
pristine /ˈprɪstiːn/ completely clean and new-looking:
He wore a pristine white shirt.
immaculate as clean and tidy as it is possible to be:
The soldiers’ uniforms have to be immaculate.
spick and span [not before noun] informal clean and tidy, especially after having just been cleaned:
By the end of the day, the whole place was spick and span.
wash to clean something with water and usually soap:
She’s washing her hair.
There’s nowhere to wash your clothes.
wipe to clean a surface with a cloth, often a wet cloth:
Wipe the worktop when you’ve finished cooking.
scrub to wash something by rubbing it hard, especially with a brush:
They made her scrub the floor.
rinse to remove dirt from something using water, especially after washing it with soap:
Rinse your hair thoroughly after shampooing it.
cleanse formal to clean your skin, using water or a special cream:
There are many products available for cleansing your skin.
bathe /beɪð/ to clean a wound or a part of your body with water:
Bathe the cut and put a plaster on it.
do the dishes (also do the washing-up British English) to wash plates and pans after a meal:
Who’s going to help me do the dishes?
do the laundry (also do the washing British English) to wash clothes:
On Tuesdays, he does the washing.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

wash to clean something with soap and water:
Our car needs washing.
Make sure that you wash your hands.
do the washing British English, do the laundry American English to wash clothes that need to be washed:
Did you do the laundry this morning?
I do the washing on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
do the washing up British English (also wash up British English), do the dishes American English to wash all the cups, plates, knives etc that you have used during a meal:
If you do the cooking tonight, I’ll do the washing up.
Who’s going to do the dishes?
cleanse formal to make something completely clean, especially using a special substance:
Carefully cleanse the cut to get rid of any grit or dirt.
rinse to wash something with water in order to remove soap or dirt:
I’ll just rinse the lettuce under the tap.
scrub to make something very clean, using a stiff brush and water, or soap and water:
Lou was on her knees, scrubbing the kitchen floor.
mop to wash a floor with a wet mop (=special stick with thick threads on the end):
A cleaner mopped the floor between the beds.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲