Meaning & use
soaping
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“soaping” is a form of “soap”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Present participle of soap: rubbing soap on something to clean it or make it slippery.
Grammar: Takes an object: she is soaping the dog.
Patterns
- soaping something
- soaping something up
She is soaping the dog in the bathtub.
He spent a minute soaping his hands before rinsing.
Soaping the windows first made them easier to wipe.
noununcountable
The act or process of putting soap on something.
Grammar: Used as a noun with no plural: a quick soaping.
Patterns
- a good soaping
The car needed a good soaping before the rinse.
After a quick soaping, the baby was clean.
A thorough soaping removes most grime.
noununcountableinformal
The act of drawing or writing on windows or cars with soap, often as a Halloween prank.
Grammar: Usually uncountable and informal: the kids were caught soaping.
Patterns
- soaping on Halloween
The kids were caught soaping the neighbor's windows.
Soaping is a harmless Halloween prank, though it is hard to clean.
The police warned about soaping on Halloween.
Common combinations
- soaping the car
- He is soaping the car before rinsing it.
- soaping up
- She finished soaping up the dishes.
- soaping the windows
- Soaping the windows is a Halloween tradition for some kids.
- lather and soaping
- Plenty of lather and soaping will lift the dirt.
- thorough soaping
- The muddy boots needed a thorough soaping.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lathering
- Stresses the foam produced and not the act of applying soap.
- washing
- Is the general word for cleaning with water and does not require soap specifically.
- scrubbing
- Suggests hard rubbing, which soaping does not.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: soaping or sopping?
soaping vs sopping
Sopping means very wet, as in sopping towels, and is a different word from soaping.
Practice
Before rinsing the dishes, he spent a few minutes ___ them.
Choose one answer.
Soaping means applying soap. Soaring means flying high, and sopping means very wet, so neither describes the action.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “soaping”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.