soak it up

Meanings

1. 1phrasephrasal verbinformal

   to enjoy and fully take in an experience, atmosphere, or information.

   Grammar: The object usually comes after 'up': soak up the sun. With a pronoun, it goes between: soak it up.

   Patterns

   • soak up something
   • soak something up
   • soak it up

   We spent the afternoon on the beach, soaking up the sunshine.

   She listened carefully to the lecture, soaking up every detail.

   The children soaked up the exciting atmosphere of the festival.

2. 2phrasephrasal verb

   to absorb a liquid.

   Grammar: Often used with a cloth or sponge as the subject: Use a towel to soak up the water.

   Patterns

   • soak up water
   • soak something up

   Use a paper towel to soak up the spilled juice.

   The dry ground soaked up the rain quickly.

Common combinations

soak up the sun

They lay on the grass and soaked up the sun.

soak up the atmosphere

We walked around the old town, soaking up the atmosphere.

soak up information

Students soaked up the information before the exam.

soak up water

The sponge soaked up the water in seconds.

Synonyms and how they differ

absorb

More formal and general; it can mean to take in liquid, heat, or information, but not usually enjoyment.

take in

Similar for information or experiences, but less vivid than 'soak up'.

enjoy

Focuses on pleasure, while 'soak up' suggests actively taking in the whole experience.

Word family

soak verb

To make something completely wet, or to leave something in liquid.

soaked adjective

Very wet.

Commonly confused: soak it up or suck it up?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “soak it up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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