baste

1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈbāst 

basted; basting

transitive verb

: to sew with long loose stitches in order to hold something in place temporarily

baste

2 of 3

verb (2)

basted; basting

transitive verb

: to moisten (foods, especially meat) at intervals with a liquid (such as melted butter, fat, or pan drippings) especially during the cooking process to prevent drying and add flavor

baste a roast every half hour

baste

3 of 3

verb (3)

basted; basting

transitive verb

1

: to beat severely or soundly : thrash

2

: to scold vigorously : berate

Synonyms

Verb (3)

• bawl out
• berate
• call down
• castigate
• chastise
• chew out
• dress down
• flay
• hammer
• jaw
• keelhaul
• lambaste
• lambast
• lecture
• rag
• rail (at or against)
• rant (at)
• rate
• ream (out)
• rebuke
• reprimand
• reproach
• scold
• score
• tongue-lash
• upbraid

Examples of baste in a Sentence

Verb (3)

a tyrannical father who used the dinner hour to baste his children for their many perceived shortcomings

basted the thief with a stick while he cried out for help

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Or, put slightly more crudely: If IUI is essentially a more effective version of the turkey-baster method, then IUI with Clomid is like basting several turkeys. —Ashley Parker, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2025

Avoid opening the oven door: A frozen turkey is already going to take longer to cook, so skip basting to avoid fluctuations in your oven temperature if oven roasting, further prolonging the process. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2024

Remove the foil, baste generously with half the reserved marinade, and roast for 10 minutes, uncovered. —Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2025

At this stage in the bespoke process, the basting thread disfigured the jacket, dividing it into quadrants, and the buttons were nothing but stickers. —Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English basten, borrowed from Middle French bastir, going back to Old Low Franconian *bastjan, going back to Germanic, "to bind or weave with bast strips" (whence Middle Dutch besten "to tie up, fasten with loose stitches," Old High German, "to bind with bast, mend"), verbal derivative of *basta- bast

Verb (2)

Middle English baisten, of obscure origin

Verb (3)

probably from Old Norse beysta; akin to Old English bēatan to beat

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for baste

• based
• braced
• cased
• chased
• chaste
• faced
• graced
• haste
• laced
• mayst
• paced
• paste

Kids Definition

baste

1 of 2 verb

ˈbāst 

basted; basting

: to sew with long loose stitches so as to hold the work temporarily in place

baster noun

baste

2 of 2 verb

basted; basting

: to moisten with liquid (as melted fat or juices) while roasting

baster noun