Soak up meaning in English
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Definition
to soak up: to absorb
I soaked up his story eagerly. I listened carefully to his every word.
to soak up the sun: to sunbathe, to sit or lie in the sun
Examples
- "Rachid and I are lying on the beach, drinking a couple of cold ones and soaking up the sun."
Exercise 1
"Candy reports that sandbags are being used to absorb the water".
Choose best term to replace absorb in this sentence:
Sandbags are being used to the water.
Choose best term to replace absorb in this sentence:
Sandbags are being used to the water.
"Candy reports that sandbags are being used to absorb the water".
Choose best term to replace absorb in this sentence:
Sandbags are being used to soak up the water.
Choose best term to replace absorb in this sentence:
Sandbags are being used to soak up the water.
soak up: "To soak up (a liquid)" is to absorb it. A sponge "soaks up" liquid by absorbing it. This is the best, most natural choice to replace "absorb" in the sentence above. Note that "to soak up" can be used figuratively as well, as in the sentence, "I soaked up all the information from his lecture".
drink up: "To drink up" can't replace "absorb" in this sentence. The expression "to drink up" is generally used to refer to the act of physically drinking. It can be used as an imperative command to drink: "Drink up! There's plenty of wine for everybody".
dry off: Although "drying" refers to the process of becoming less wet, "dry off" cannot replace "absorb" in this sentence. Water can dry, however one cannot dry it off (in the active sense). The phrasal verb "to dry off" is a variation of the verb "to dry", often used to refer to an object or person. Example: I need to dry off, please pass me a towel.
reduce: "Reduce" can't replace the term "absorb" in this sentence. One doesn't "reduce" water itself, but an amount of water or water levels can be reduced.
Exercise 2
"I bought some stock in the company"
Which of the following statements use stock correctly?
Which of the following statements use stock correctly?
"I bought some stock in the company"
Which of the following statements use stock correctly?
Which of the following statements use stock correctly?
This is a correct choice. A "stock answer" is a "standard" response repeated regularly without thought or originality. Example: Why do teenagers get pregnant? The stock answer is they lack education, but the truth might be more complicated. In a similar way, STOCK can be used to describe anything that is regularly and widely used or sold. Example: Light bulbs are stock items in hardware stores.
This is a correct choice. "To stock (a product)" is to have or store (a product). Example: Our record shop stocks the new Elkie Johns album. If a product is available, it is IN STOCK; if a product is no longer available it is OUT OF STOCK.
This is an incorrect choice. To SOAK UP the sun means to absorb the rays of the sun (perhaps to get a suntan!). To STOCK UP (on something) means to buy a large amount of something so that you will have enough for future use. Example: I'm STOCKING UP on firewood for the winter. And I am, too.
This is a correct choice. "To take stock (of something)" means to examine resources or prospects carefully. Example: Pam took stock of her life and decided she needed a new career.
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