cleanse

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /klɛnz/ See IPA manual

Freq #12275

Meanings

1

verb
to purge of an ideology, bad thoughts, or sins

Some people believe that purgatory cleanses you from your sins.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

freshen lustrate lave baptize purge sanitize

Opposites

defile befoul besmear taint bedirty befile beray besmirch defoul beclart bedaub befilth

Word family

Forms cleansedcleansescleansinguncleansed

Derived forms cleansablecleanserdecleanserecleanseuncleanse

Etymology

From Middle English clensen, from Old English clǣnsian, from Proto-West Germanic *klainisōn, from Proto-West Germanic *klainī (“clean”). Cognate with West Frisian klinzgje (“to clean, cleanse”), archaic Dutch kleinzen (“to clean, purify”), Middle Low German klênsen, kleinsen, clensen (“to purify”).

clensen Middle English clǣnsian Old English *klainisōn Proto-West Germanic *klainī Proto-West Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

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