Synonyms of wash in English:

wash

See US English definition of wash

See UK English definition of wash

See Spanish definition of lavado

verb

1‘he reached for the soap and began to wash’

SYNONYMS

clean oneself, have a wash, wash oneself

bathe, bath, shower, have a bath, have a shower, take a bath, take a shower, soak, douche, freshen up

North American wash up

formal, humorous perform one's ablutions

dated make one's toilet

2‘Melissa slipped indoors to wash her face and hands’

SYNONYMS

clean, cleanse, sponge, scrub, wipe, scour

literary lave

ANTONYMS

dirty, soil

3‘I washed and waxed the floor’

SYNONYMS

clean, cleanse, sponge, scrub, mop, hose down, squeegee, sluice, sluice down, swill, swill down, douse, swab, swab down, flush, disinfect

ANTONYMS

dirty, soil

4‘she washed off the dried blood’

SYNONYMS

remove by washing, sponge off, scrub off, wipe off, rinse off, remove, flush away, flush out, expunge, eradicate

5‘a few women were washing clothes beside the shore’

SYNONYMS

launder, clean, rinse, rinse out

dry-clean

literary lave

6‘I must shower and wash my hair’

SYNONYMS

shampoo, lather, clean

7‘gentle waves were washing against the hull’

SYNONYMS

splash, lap, splosh, dash, break, beat, strike, sweep, move, surge, ripple, roll, flow

literary plash, lave

8‘wreckage was washed up on the coast of Alaska’

SYNONYMS

sweep, carry, convey, transport, move, deliver, deposit, drive

9‘a wave of guilt washed over her’

SYNONYMS

affect, rush over, rush through, thrill through, race over, surge through, course through, flood over, flow over, sweep over, flutter through

10‘the stonework was washed with water-based paint’

SYNONYMS

paint, colour, apply paint to, tint, highlight, shade, dye, stain, distemper

coat, cover

11‘copper washed with silver’

SYNONYMS

plate, cover, coat, overlay, laminate, veneer, glaze, gild, silver

12‘people will see that this budget is merely an election bribe and it won't wash’

SYNONYMS

be accepted, be acceptable, be plausible, be convincing, hold up, hold water, stand up, bear scrutiny, stand the test of time, be believable, be credible, pass muster, prove true, make sense

informal stick

noun

1‘her hair needs a wash’

SYNONYMS

clean, cleaning, cleansing

shower, douche, dip, bath, soak

formal, humorous ablutions

rare lavation

2‘that shirt should really go in the wash straight away’

SYNONYMS

laundry, washing

dirty washing, dirty clothes, soiled linen

British dated bagwash

3‘an antiseptic skin wash’

SYNONYMS

lotion, salve, application, preparation, rinse, liquid, liniment, embrocation, emulsion

4‘his jet ski ploughed into the wash of a motor boat’

SYNONYMS

backwash, backflow, wake, trail, train, path

churning, disturbance

5‘the wash of the waves on the pebbled beach’

SYNONYMS

surge, flow, swell, welling, sweep, undulation, rise and fall, ebb and flow, roll, splash

6‘water was applied to thin out the crayon into a wash’

SYNONYMS

paint, stain, varnish, coat, layer, film, overlay

Phrases

wash one's hands of

‘I'm going to wash my hands of the whole business’

SYNONYMS

disown, disclaim, renounce, reject, abjure, forswear, disavow, have nothing to do with, have done with, be finished with, be through with, give up on, turn one's back on, cast aside, end relations with, abandon

Law disaffirm

wash something away

‘about two acres of land has been washed away’

SYNONYMS

erode, abrade, wear away, corrode, eat away, eat into, denude, grind down, undermine

wash up

‘I cook for him, but he usually washes up’

SYNONYMS

wash the dishes, wash the crockery, do the dishes, do the washing-up

wash something up

‘he washed up the dishes’

SYNONYMS