Douse vs. quench: what’s the difference?
The short answer
Douse primarily means to pour liquid over something or someone, often to extinguish or drench. It does not have the meaning of satisfying thirst. Quench can mean to extinguish a fire, but it also commonly means to satisfy a thirst or desire. Additionally, quench is used in metallurgy to describe rapidly cooling heated metal.
What they have in common
Both douse and quench are verbs associated with extinguishing fires or flames, often by using a liquid. They both can imply putting an end to something or suppressing it.
Examples
douse
- The firefighters worked quickly to douse the flames.
- She doused the campfire with water before leaving.
- He accidentally doused himself with the garden hose.
quench
- A glass of cold water helped quench his thirst.
- The fire extinguisher was used to quench the small blaze.
- The blacksmith quenched the hot iron in oil.
Which one is more common?
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