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to cleanse

to cleanse

33 3.0
Remove dirt and germs from a person's body by washing
  • verb
  • /klɛnz/
translation icon : lavar
  • But before doing all that, you'll want to cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate your skin.
  • cleanse the body
  • cleanse with water

OK cleansers, you need to cleanse your face.

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Examples

  • We are going to cleanse and exfoliate the top layer of the skin.

  • Natives Clean Effective Body Wash only uses simple ingredients that help cleanse your skin.

  • But you can kind of use it as a like just to cleanse off your skin.

  • And because I double cleanse, I will cleanse my face using this side and it's huge.

  • So just now I'll definitely use this as a moment to cleanse my face.

  • So I'm just going to cleanse my skin with this guy.

  • This is a must have and then I will cleanse with Cetaphil.

  • And then I will cleanse and rinse this off.

  • Step one is to cleanse with the Glow Pro Cleanser.

  • It's important to cleanse your face thoroughly to remove dirt and makeup.

Synonyms

to clean
vsto cleanse
1.0

To remove dirt and stains

is limited to making a person's body or part of it free from dirt
to wash
vsto cleanse
941 1.0

To clean something with water, often using soap

applies specifically to a person's body rather than any object
to clean up
vsto cleanse
86 2.0

To wash and make yourself look neat

focuses on bodily cleaning for hygiene rather than appearance only
to rinse
vsto cleanse
83 1.0

To wash something with water to remove soap or dirt

covers full cleaning of a body part, not only the final water step
to freshen up
vsto cleanse
  • Informal
43 3.4

Wash or tidy yourself to feel cleaner and look better

refers to fuller, possibly more thorough body cleaning than refreshing
to wash off
vsto cleanse
31 1.0

To remove something from a surface by washing with water or soap

is used specifically for making body parts clean rather than surfaces
to disinfect
vsto cleanse
18 3.7

To clean a surface, wound, or tool with chemicals to kill germs

is about ordinary bodily cleaning, not killing microbes specifically
to sanitize
vsto cleanse
  • US
11 3.7

Make something clean and free from bacteria

focuses on removing visible dirt from a body part rather than sterilizing
to rinse off
vsto cleanse
10 1.6

To wash something with water to remove soap or dirt

refers to cleaning the body more generally rather than just rinsing
to wash out
vsto cleanse
9 2.0

Clean something using water to remove dirt or stains

focuses on cleaning a body part rather than deep removal from objects
to deterge
vsto cleanse
  • Archaic
9.9

To clean a wound or the skin by washing away dirt and germs

is general body cleaning, not limited to medical practice
to water-wash
vsto cleanse
2.7

To clean something using water to remove dirt or chemicals

usually involves body cleaning and can include soap not just water
to hygienize
vsto cleanse
  • Specialized
7.5

To make something clean and free from germs

means general body washing rather than technical sterilization

Antonyms

14 1.0

To make something unclean or covered with dirt

How Clean

to sterilize
  • Specialized
29 4.1
to scrub
55 1.0
to cleanse
33 3.0
to wash
941 1.0
rinse
8 1.0
to wipe
531 1.0

Surface Forms

cleanse infinitive
cleansed past
cleansed past participle
cleansing present participle
cleanses third person singular

Morphology

cleanse = clean (semi-transparent) = clean + se

The verb meaning extends metaphorically to moral or abstract removal (e.g., sin, guilt), so although formally derived from 'clean' + '-se', the specific abstract senses may not be fully obvious to all learners.

Etymology

Cleanse comes from the simple word clean plus an old verb ending, so it literally means 'to make clean'. Think of washing your hands or scrubbing away dirt — that image helps explain why cleanse means to wash and make something physically clean.