soap

soap — noun

1. A solid block or liquid product that you rub on your skin or household items, th

1.nounA1
Definition

A solid block or liquid product that you rub on your skin or household items, then rinse off with water, to remove dirt, grease, and germs.

Example

Paloma washed her hands with warm water and soap before dinner.

collocation: wash hands with soap

This liquid soap has a mild lemon scent and does not dry out the skin.

modifier: liquid soap / scented soap

Common collocations
  • bar of soap
  • liquid soap
  • hand soap
  • wash with soap
  • soap and water
  • mild soap
  • gentle soap
Synonyms
  • detergent

    A stronger chemical product for washing clothes or dishes, not usually for the body.

  • cleanser

    A product for cleaning the face or specific skin types, often without traditional soap ingredients.

Grammar Patterns

soap + for + [purpose]

a bar/piece/lump + of + soap

soap + noun (soap dish, soap bubble)

Usage Note

When referring to one unit, native speakers say 'a bar of soap' or 'a piece of soap,' not 'a soap' (except when talking about a specific type, e.g., 'This is a gentle soap for babies.').

Common Mistakes

Please hand me a soap.
Please hand me a bar of soap.
'soap' is usually uncountable; use a measure phrase for a single unit.

2. A television or radio show, broadcast on multiple days each week, that tells an

2.nounB1
Definition

A television or radio show, broadcast on multiple days each week, that tells an ongoing story about imaginary people and the challenges they face in their daily lives.

Example

Élise watches her favourite soap every evening right after the news.

collocation: watch a soap

That afternoon soap has been running on the same channel since the 1990s.

Common collocations
  • watch a soap
  • daily soap
  • afternoon soap
  • soap opera
  • soap star
  • soap actor
Synonyms
  • drama

    A TV series about serious topics; broader and not necessarily broadcast daily.

  • serial

    A story told in instalments; can refer to any episodic format, not just TV.

Grammar Patterns

watch + a/the + soap

soap + [channel/network]

be on + a + soap

Usage Note

Full form is 'soap opera,' but 'soap' alone is far more common in everyday informal conversation. The term dates from the mid-20th century when such shows were sponsored by soap manufacturers.

Idioms

soft soap

idiom

Flattery or kind talk that someone uses to persuade you to do something or to make you feel pleased.

Theo used a lot of soft soap to convince his sister to lend him the car.

Do not fall for his soft soap — he just wants you to help with the paperwork.

no soap

idiom

Used informally to mean that something is not possible, not happening, or has failed.

I asked the manager for a day off, but he said no soap.

We tried to fix the old radio ourselves, but no soap — it was completely broken.

soap — verb

Word family

  • soapy
    adjectiveB2
  • soapless
    adjectiveC1
  • soapsuds
    nounC1
  • soapstone
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Soap, detergent, and cleanser are all used for cleaning, but they differ in ingredients and typical use. Soap is traditionally made from natural fats or oils and an alkali, and is most often used on the body or for light household cleaning — for example, washing your hands with a bar of soap. Detergent is a synthetic chemical product, usually stronger, and is mainly for laundry, dishwashers, or heavy grease removal — you would use laundry detergent in the washing machine, not on your skin. Cleanser is a broad term for products formulated for specific skin types, especially on the face; a facial cleanser may or may not contain actual soap, and is designed to be gentler. In short: soap for your hands and body, detergent for your clothes and dishes, cleanser for your face.

soap ↗detergentcleanser

Common collocations

Nouns

  • soap bar
  • soap dish
  • soap bubble
  • soap opera star
  • soap powder
  • soap dispenser

Phrases

  • soap and water
  • a bar/piece of soap
  • soap up

Prepositions

  • soap + with + [something]
  • soap + in + [container]
  • soap + on + [surface]

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'soap' comes from Old English 'sāpe,' which traces back through Proto-Germanic '*saipō.' The Latin 'sebum' (animal fat) is a distant PIE cognate of the same root — both Germanic and Latin branches inherited the word from a common Proto-Indo-European ancestor, not a direct Latin-to-Germanic line. People have been making soap since ancient times by mixing fat with ash. The modern English spelling stabilised in the late Middle English period.