slake

/sleɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /sleɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈslāk intransitive sense 2 & transitive sense 3 are also ˈslak/ (ame, mw)

slake — verb

  • slakepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • slakeshe / she / it
  • slakedpast simple
  • slaking-ing form

1. to end thirst by drinking, or to satisfy a strong desire

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to end thirst by drinking, or to satisfy a strong desire

例句

Diego slaked his thirst with cold water after the long mountain hike.

slake + thirst (literal, physical need)

Yuki's thirst for answers was slaked when the old diary finally surfaced.

同義詞
  • quench

    more common; used only for thirst or fire, not desires

  • satisfy

    broader and more everyday; lacks the literary feel of 'slake'

  • appease

    often implies reluctantly calming a demand, while 'slake' feels willing

反義詞

文法句型

slake + noun phrase (thirst, desire, craving, longing)

用法筆記

Object is typically thirst (literal or figurative), desire, craving, or longing. More formal and literary than 'quench' or 'satisfy'; rare in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌I slaked my hunger with a sandwich.
✅I slaked my thirst with water.
💡'slake' is used with thirst and desires, not with physical hunger for food.

2. to reduce the force or intensity of something powerful

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to reduce the force or intensity of something powerful

例句

Priya's calm words slaked the growing anger among the parents at the school meeting.

slake + anger for reducing an emotion

A light rain began to fall, slaking the fierce heat of the summer afternoon.

同義詞
  • moderate

    more common and less literary; used in everyday contexts

  • abate

    formal; often used intransitively ('the storm abated')

  • temper

    implies softening or balancing, often deliberately

反義詞

文法句型

slake + noun phrase (anger, heat, fury, tension, intensity)

用法筆記

Object is typically something forceful: anger, heat, fury, violence, passion. This sense is more literary and rarer than sense 1. Distinguish from sense 1 (RELIEVE THIRST), which is about satisfying a need or desire rather than reducing an intensity.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor slaked the patient's pain with medicine.
✅The doctor eased the patient's pain with medicine.
💡'slake' is for powerful or intense things like anger and heat, not for physical pain.