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to soak in the tub

to soak in the tub

1 2.3
To relax for a while in warm water in a bathtub
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : remojarse en la bañera
  • I heard the fax machine as I soaked in the tub and sipped wine on top of medicine.

A good bathtub has like a slanting back so you can like lean back when you're soaking in the tub.

Examples

  • Jane, why don't I soak in the tub for a couple of days?

    Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994)

  • I soak in the tub until the last of the water is swallowed by the drain.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • The guy's soaking in the tub.

    Sleepers (1996)

  • I'll go up and soak in the tub for a few minutes.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Soak in the tub, and go to bed.

    City of Ghosts (2002)

  • After a long day at work, I like to soak in the tub to unwind and relax.

  • On chilly evenings, nothing feels better than to soak in the tub with a warm bath.

  • She decided to soak in the tub for an hour to relieve her stress and tension.

Synonyms

to take a bath
vsto soak in the tub
110 1.0

To wash and relax in a tub of warm water

focuses on long relaxed immersion rather than mainly washing
to bathe
vsto soak in the tub
16 1.4

To swim for pleasure in the sea or pool

means long relaxed immersion for calm rest rather than recreation
to bathe in
vsto soak in the tub
12 2.1

To get into warm water to clean yourself or relax

is about long relaxed immersion rather than brief cleansing

How Relaxing

to soak in the tub
1 2.3
to take a bath
110 1.0

Surface Forms

soak in the tub infinitive
soaked in the tub past
soaked in the tub past participle
soaking in the tub present participle
soaks in the tub third person singular

Morphology

soak + in + the + tub

The meaning 'to relax by immersing oneself in a bathtub' is directly and literally composed from 'soak' (to immerse and make wet) + 'in' (position) + 'the tub' (bathtub). This is a straightforward, compositional motion/location expression common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Soak in the tub comes from the simple image of sitting in warm water: to soak means to sit in liquid and a tub is a bathtub. Because warm water loosens muscles and helps you calm down, the phrase came to mean 'to relax by taking a bath'.