soap suds

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   The mass of small bubbles and foam that forms when soap is mixed with water, used for washing.

   Grammar: Always plural; takes a plural verb: 'The soap suds are everywhere.'

   Patterns

   • soap suds in something
   • covered in soap suds
   • rinse off the soap suds

   She filled the sink with warm water and watched the soap suds rise.

   The children had soap suds in their hair after the bubble fight.

   Rinse the soap suds off the dishes before drying them.

2. 2nounplural

   Foam or lather produced by soap, especially on a surface being washed.

   Grammar: Still plural; often used with 'the' to refer to specific suds.

   Patterns

   • wash something with soap suds
   • soap suds on something

   He scrubbed the floor until it was covered in soap suds.

   The mechanic wiped the soap suds off the car window.

Common combinations

soap suds in the sink

There were soap suds in the sink after she washed the glasses.

rinse off the soap suds

Make sure you rinse off the soap suds before you put the shirt in the dryer.

covered in soap suds

The dog came out of the bath covered in soap suds.

soap suds and water

The bucket was full of soap suds and water.

Synonyms and how they differ

lather

Lather is the foam you get from soap or shaving cream, often used for a thick, creamy foam; soap suds is more general and can be thin and bubbly.

foam

Foam is a broader word for any mass of bubbles, including from the sea or drinks; soap suds specifically comes from soap.

bubbles

Bubbles are individual round pockets of air; soap suds refers to a collection of them, usually as foam.

Word family

suds noun

Foam or lather, especially from soap; also informal for beer foam.

sudsy adjective

Full of soap suds; foamy.

Commonly confused: soap suds or soapy?

Practice

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

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