wipe

wipe — verb

1. to press a cloth, towel, or your hand against a surface and move it across in or

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2
Definition

to press a cloth, towel, or your hand against a surface and move it across in order to take away dirt, liquid, or unwanted marks.

Example

After cooking, Renata wiped the kitchen counter with a damp sponge.

wipe + object + with [tool]

Jin wiped his glasses on the corner of his shirt before reading the menu.

Common collocations
  • wipe the table
  • wipe your hands
  • wipe the floor
  • wipe the mirror
  • wipe a surface
  • wipe tears
  • wipe sweat
Synonyms
  • rub

    stronger pressure, not necessarily for cleaning; more general

  • clean

    broader — includes washing, scrubbing, not only rubbing with a cloth

  • scrub

    harder, more vigorous rubbing, often with a brush

Antonyms
  • dirty

    to make something unclean, the opposite of wiping it clean

  • smear

    to spread dirt or liquid across a surface instead of removing it

Grammar Patterns

wipe + object + off/away/from/with

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person. The object is either the surface being cleaned (wipe the table) or the substance being removed (wipe the dirt). Common with adverbs like quickly, gently, carefully.

Common Mistakes

She wiped the table with water.
She wiped the table with a damp cloth.
'wipe' is done with a cloth or towel, not with water alone.
I wiped the stain off from the carpet.
I wiped the stain off the carpet.
'off' already includes the idea of removal; no 'from' is needed.
Phrasal verbs

wipe out

phrasal verb

to destroy something completely or to remove every trace of it; also used for killing all members of a group or erasing a memory or debt.

The earthquake wiped out entire villages along the coast.

A single bad investment can wipe out years of savings in a few months.

wipe off

phrasal verb

to remove something from a surface by rubbing it with a cloth, your hand, or something soft.

Faisal wiped the mud off his boots before stepping into the car.

The teacher wiped off the whiteboard at the end of the class.

wipe away

phrasal verb

to remove liquid (such as tears, sweat, or spilled drink) from a surface using a light rubbing motion.

Haruto gently wiped away the tears running down his little sister's cheeks.

The cleaner wiped away the coffee stains from the office desk with a cloth.

wipe down

phrasal verb

to clean the entire surface of something thoroughly with a wet cloth, especially after use.

Staff wipe down every table between customers to keep the restaurant clean.

Heloísa wiped down the kitchen counters after preparing a big dinner.

Idioms

wipe the floor with someone

idiom

to defeat someone very easily and completely in a competition, game, or argument.

The defending champion wiped the floor with her younger opponent in under ten minutes.

In the final round of the debate, Trang wiped the floor with her rival by citing every data point.

wipe the slate clean

idiom

to decide to forget past mistakes or disagreements and start a relationship or situation again from the beginning.

After a long conversation, the two friends agreed to wipe the slate clean and move forward.

The new manager wanted to wipe the slate clean and give everyone a fresh start.

wipe the smile off someone's face

idiom

to make someone stop feeling pleased or self-satisfied, usually by saying something that upsets or embarrasses them.

The unexpected criticism quickly wiped the smile off his face.

Her sharp reply wiped the grin off Ezra's face for the rest of the evening.

wipe/mop the floor with somebody

idiom

To completely defeat someone in a competition or argument.

Our team wiped the floor with them in the final match.

Did you see how she mopped the floor with him during the debate?

wipe the grin/smile off your face

idiom

To stop smiling, often because someone else is annoyed and wants you to be serious.

The teacher told Tom to wipe that grin off his face.

Wipe that smile off your face; this is a serious matter.

wipe — noun

Word family

  • wiper
    nounB1
  • wiped
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe actions that make a surface cleaner or smoother, but they differ in method and intensity. Wipe is the gentlest — you press a cloth or your hand against a surface and slide it across, usually to remove liquid or light dirt (She wiped the table after dinner). Rub involves more pressure and a back-and-forth or circular motion, sometimes without a cloth (He rubbed his sore shoulder). Scrub is the most vigorous — you use a brush or rough cloth with soap and water to remove stuck-on dirt (She scrubbed the burnt pot for ten minutes). Polish aims to make a surface shiny, not just clean, often with a special product (He polished his shoes until they gleamed). For everyday quick cleaning, wipe is the best choice; for tough dirt, use scrub.

clean ↗rub ↗scrubpolish ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • give something a wipe
  • need a wipe
  • a quick wipe
  • a good wipe

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'wipe' comes from Old English 'wīpian', meaning 'to wipe, cleanse, or rub'. It is related to Old High German 'wīfan' (to wind around) and Old Norse 'vípa' (to swing). The general sense of cleaning by rubbing has stayed remarkably stable for over a thousand years. The noun sense of a pre-moistened cleaning cloth is a much later development, from the late 20th century.