CLEANSING

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cleansing mean? 

• CLEANSING (noun)
  The noun CLEANSING has 1 sense:

1. the act of making something clean

  Familiarity information: CLEANSING used as a noun is very rare.

• CLEANSING (adjective)
  The adjective CLEANSING has 2 senses:

1. cleansing the body by washing; especially ritual washing of e.g. hands
2. acting like an antiseptic

  Familiarity information: CLEANSING used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CLEANSING (noun)

Meaning:

The act of making something clean

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

cleaning; cleansing; cleanup

Context example:

he gave his shoes a good cleaning

Hypernyms ("cleansing" is a kind of...):

improvement (the act of improving something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cleansing"):

disinfestation (the activity of getting rid of vermin)

bathing; washup (the act of washing yourself (or another person))

depilation; epilation (the act of removing hair (as from an animal skin))

sanitation; sanitisation; sanitization (making something sanitary (free of germs) as by sterilizing)

sterilisation; sterilization (the procedure of making some object free of live bacteria or other microorganisms (usually by heat or chemical means))

purification (the act of cleaning by getting rid of impurities)

purge; purging (an act of removing by cleansing; ridding of sediment or other undesired elements)

sweeping (the act of cleaning with a broom)

dry cleaning (the act of cleaning (fabrics) with a solvent other than water)

scouring; scrub; scrubbing (the act of cleaning a surface by rubbing it with a brush and soap and water)

spring-cleaning (the activity of cleaning a house thoroughly at the end of winter)

housecleaning (the act of cleaning the rooms and furnishings of a house)

• CLEANSING (adjective)

Meaning:

Cleansing the body by washing; especially ritual washing of e.g. hands

Synonyms:

ablutionary; cleansing

Context example:

ablutionary rituals

Similar:

purifying (freeing from noxious matter)

Meaning:

Acting like an antiseptic

Synonyms:

cleansing; purifying

Similar:

antiseptic (thoroughly clean and free of or destructive to disease-causing organisms)