rinse
rinse — verb
- rinsepresent simple I / you / we / they
- rinseshe / she / it
- rinsedpast simple
- rinsing-ing form
1. To clean soap, dirt, or leftover cleaning product from something by passing clea
To clean soap, dirt, or leftover cleaning product from something by passing clean water over or through it, often after using a cleaning agent like shampoo or detergent.
Before loading the dishwasher, Anna rinsed the plates under the kitchen tap.
rinse + object + under [water source]
Mei always rinses her hair with cool, clean water after using shampoo.
The lettuce should be rinsed in cold water to remove any soil or small insects.
Diego rinsed the mud off his garden boots with a hose before going inside.
The nurse rinsed the wound with clean water before putting on a fresh bandage.
- wash
general term for cleaning with water and usually soap; rinse is a specific step within washing
- flush
using a strong flow of water to push something out, like a pipe or wound
- swill
rinse with a larger amount of water, often to clean a container
- dip
briefly put something into liquid, not necessarily to remove soap
文法句型
rinse + object
rinse + object + off/out + noun
get + object + rinsed
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 'WASH' — rinsing removes what is already on the surface (soap, dirt) rather than applying a cleaning product. Frequently used with the direct object naming the thing being cleaned (hair, dishes, clothes, a wound) rather than the substance being removed.
常見錯誤
2. To move a liquid such as water or mouthwash around inside your mouth or throat i
To move a liquid such as water or mouthwash around inside your mouth or throat in order to clean it, usually before spitting the liquid out.
Theo rinsed his mouth with mouthwash after every meal to keep his teeth clean.
rinse + [body part] + with [liquid]
The dentist told Nadia to rinse with warm salt water when her gums felt sore.
Lucia rinsed her mouth thoroughly after eating the sour candy to stop the stinging feeling.
Omar rinsed his throat with warm salt water every night to soothe his cough.
After the wine tasting, the judge rinsed her mouth with plain water before the next one.
文法句型
rinse + [body part] + with [liquid]
rinse + out + [body part]
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used with a body part as the object (mouth, throat, gums). The liquid is typically introduced with 'with' (rinse with mouthwash, rinse with water). Spitting out is implied but rarely stated.
常見錯誤
3. To direct unkind teasing or harsh criticism toward someone, especially about the
To direct unkind teasing or harsh criticism toward someone, especially about their looks, behaviour, or performance, in front of an audience or peer group.
The other players rinsed Jack for missing the easy goal during the training session.
UK slang: rinse + someone + for [reason]
Emma's classmates rinsed her new hairstyle until she started laughing along with them.
Online commenters rinsed the actor for his poorly delivered lines in the film.
Tom told his friends to stop rinsing his little brother after the school play.
- praise
to express approval rather than mockery
- compliment
to say something nice about someone
文法句型
rinse + someone + for + [reason]
用法筆記
Predominantly British slang. The target is usually a person or a specific action/feature of that person. Often used among friends in a teasing context, but can be more hostile in public or online settings.
4. To beat someone very easily in a competitive activity such as a sports match, ga
To beat someone very easily in a competitive activity such as a sports match, game, or argument, often by a large margin.
The home team rinsed their opponents six goals to nil on Saturday afternoon.
informal: rinse [opponent] in sports
In the school debate, Mei rinsed her opponent with well-prepared facts and figures.
Vijay rinsed everyone else in the chess tournament without losing a single game.
Our basketball team got rinsed by the defending champions in last night's match.
- lose to
to be defeated by someone
- get beaten by
the opposite outcome
文法句型
rinse + someone + in [competition]
get + rinsed
用法筆記
British informal. Used in both active voice (Team A rinsed Team B) and passive voice (Team B got rinsed by Team A). The 'get' passive is more common in spoken British English than the 'be' passive for this sense.
5. To charge someone an unfairly high price for goods or services, or to extract an
To charge someone an unfairly high price for goods or services, or to extract an excessive amount of money from them through dishonest business practices.
The taxi driver tried to rinse the tourists by charging double the normal fare.
UK slang: rinse + someone + by [method]
Kwame felt the repair shop had rinsed him over a thousand pounds for simple work.
Some nightclubs in the city centre rinse customers by asking thirty pounds just to enter.
Bisi realised the landlord was rinsing her with unfair extra fees every single month.
- fleece
similar informal meaning of overcharging, used more broadly across varieties of English
- rip off
very common phrasal verb meaning to charge too much
- overcharge
neutral, non-slang term for charging too much
- give a discount
to charge less than the usual price
- undercharge
to charge too little
文法句型
rinse + someone + for + [amount]
用法筆記
British slang, typically used in contexts of exploitation — the person being rinsed is a victim of unfair pricing or outright fraud. The amount taken is often specified with 'for' (rinsed him for £500).
6. To unlawfully remove every penny from a person's financial account, such as a ch
To unlawfully remove every penny from a person's financial account, such as a checking or savings account, by means of deception or hacking.
The hackers rinsed the company's bank account within hours of breaking into the system.
slang: rinse + [financial account] = empty it
Ananya logged in to find that someone had rinsed her savings account completely.
The gang rinsed the charity account and transferred everything to an overseas bank.
The scammer rinsed the elderly couple's account using fake banking documents and phone calls.
文法句型
rinse + [bank account]
用法筆記
British informal, often appearing in crime and fraud contexts. The direct object is typically a financial account (bank account, savings account) rather than a person. Distinguish from sense 5 (OVERCHARGE OR CHEAT), which focuses on unfair pricing rather than theft.
7. To use a credit card up to its maximum borrowing limit, making it impossible to
To use a credit card up to its maximum borrowing limit, making it impossible to make further purchases until the balance is paid down.
Takuya rinsed his credit card buying concert tickets and flights to Tokyo.
slang: rinse [credit card] = reach spending limit
Sofia had almost rinsed her card by the time the holiday sales began.
Lars rinsed his new credit card within the first week of receiving it.
Yuna warned her flatmate not to rinse the shared card on takeaway food deliveries.
- pay off
to clear the balance on a credit card
- stay within limit
to keep spending below the maximum
文法句型
rinse + [credit card]
用法筆記
British slang, specific to credit cards and spending limits. Unlike sense 6 (EMPTY ACCOUNT), the money is spent by the cardholder rather than stolen. The closest standard English equivalent is 'max out'.
rinse — noun
- rinsesingular
- rinsesplural
1. A short wash with clean water to remove soap, dirt, or impurities from something
A short wash with clean water to remove soap, dirt, or impurities from something, often as the final step after cleaning with a product.
Give the dishes a quick rinse before you put them in the dishwasher.
give [object] a rinse — common collocation
The washing machine has a separate rinse cycle that removes leftover detergent from your clothes.
Emma gave her hair a final rinse with cool water to make it extra shiny.
The vegetables need a thorough rinse to wash away any remaining soil or chemicals.
用法筆記
Commonly used in the pattern 'give [something] a rinse'. Often refers to a quick or final wash step. Rarely used as a countable noun for longer or more thorough cleaning processes — for those, 'wash' is preferred.
常見錯誤
2. A liquid or solution that gives hair a temporary colour or tint, which washes ou
A liquid or solution that gives hair a temporary colour or tint, which washes out after a few shampoos rather than lasting permanently.
Mei bought a brown hair rinse to cover the grey roots between permanent dye jobs.
hair rinse = temporary colouring product
This purple rinse usually washes out after about six to eight shampoos.
A cherry-red rinse gave Lucia's dark hair a subtle warm shimmer in the sunlight.
The blue hair rinse is still popular among some older women in Europe.
- tint
can be temporary or semi-permanent; a rinse is always temporary
- colour treatment
broader term that includes both permanent and temporary products
- permanent dye
a lasting hair colour that does not wash out
用法筆記
Distinguish from hair dye or permanent colour — a rinse coats the outside of the hair shaft and fades with washing, while dye penetrates the hair structure and lasts until it grows out or is chemically removed.