cleanse
cleanse Lexical Profile
cleanse Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To make thoroughly clean, hygienic, or free from impurities (especially of skin, wounds, or bodily tissues).
"The nurse used an antiseptic solution to cleanse the patient's wound before applying a bandage."
To rid a person, place, or thing of something seen as unpleasant, morally corrupt, or spiritually defiling.
"The ancient ritual was intended to cleanse the temple of evil spirits and restore harmony."
• noun
A dietary regimen, fast, or treatment undertaken with the aim of ridding the body of toxins or waste.
"She decided to try a three-day juice cleanse after the holiday season."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'clean' is the standard everyday verb for removing dirt, 'cleanse' carries a more elevated, clinical, or spiritual tone, typically used for skincare, internal health regimens, or moral purification.
• Rhymes for cleanse
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English clænsian ('to make clean, purge, purify, chasten'), derived from clæne ('clean') plus the West Germanic verbal suffix -isōn.