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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Saturate Definition, Examples, and Common Usage (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：make thoroughly wet (saturate)

saturate 🔊

/ˈsætʃəreɪt/

vt.

To make something completely wet by filling it with liquid, so it can't take in any more.

Saturate a sponge with water until it cannot absorb more liquid

make thoroughly wet 🔊

➕

/meɪk ˈθɜːrəli wɛt/

vt.

To make something completely wet by filling it with liquid until no more can be absorbed.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin saturare 'to fill, soak', from satur 'full'; English suffix -ate forms verbs.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'satur' (like 'sated') + 'ate' (eat). Imagine eating until you are completely full—like a sponge soaked with water and unable to take more.

📖 Example

After the heavy rain, the soil was completely saturated, making it difficult to walk without sinking in. 🔊 After the heavy rain, the soil was completely saturated, making it difficult to walk without sinking in.

🔗 Collocations

saturate with water – to fill something completely with water

saturate the sponge – to make a sponge fully wet

saturated soil – soil that cannot absorb more water

🔄 Synonyms

drench (vt.) – To make something extremely wet, often by pouring liquid over it.

soak (vt.) – To place something in liquid for a period to make it thoroughly wet.

steep (vt.) – To soak something in liquid, typically to extract flavor or soften it.

🚫 Antonyms

dry out (phrasal vt.) – To remove moisture from something, making it free of water.

dehydrate (vt.) – To remove water from something, causing it to become dry.

drain (vt.) – To remove liquid from something, often by allowing it to flow away.

🌱 Derivatives

saturated (adj.) – Completely wet or filled to capacity.

saturation (n.) – The state of being completely filled or soaked.

saturating (adj.) – Causing something to become completely filled or wet.

📖 Cultural Story

The root satur in Latin means 'full' or 'sated'. It also gives us satire (originally a medley), as satura lanx meant a 'full dish' of mixed fruits. Saturate entered English in the 16th century, maintaining the idea of filling to capacity.

Meaning 2：oversupply the market (saturate)

saturate 🔊

/ˈsætʃəreɪt/

vt.

To fill something with so much of something that it can't take any more, often in a non-physical way.

Saturate a smartphone screen with too many app icons and notifications

oversupply the market 🔊

➕

/ˈoʊvər səˌplaɪ ðə ˈmɑːrkɪt/

vt.

To fill a market or area with so much of something that it becomes difficult to sell or add more.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Advanced

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The smartphone market is so saturated with similar models that it's hard for new brands to stand out. 🔊 The smartphone market is so saturated with similar models that it's hard for new brands to stand out.

🔗 Collocations

saturate the market – to supply so much of a product that demand is fully met and sales become difficult

saturated with products – having an excessive number of similar items available

market saturation – the point at which a market cannot absorb more of a product

🔄 Synonyms

flood (vt.) – To overwhelm a market with a large quantity of goods.

overwhelm (vt.) – To supply too much of something, making it difficult to manage or compete.

glut (vt.) – To fill something with an excessive amount, causing a surplus.

🚫 Antonyms

undersupply (vt.) – To provide less than what is needed or demanded.

create scarcity (phrase) – To make something rare or limited in availability.

🌱 Derivatives

saturated (adj.) – Filled to capacity; having an excess supply.

saturation (n.) – The state of being completely filled, especially in a market.

saturating (adj.) – Causing a market or area to become filled beyond capacity.