marinate

verb

mar·​i·​nate ˈmer-ə-ˌnāt 

ˈma-rə-

marinated; marinating

transitive verb

: to steep (food such as meat, fish, or vegetables) in a marinade

… fillet of beef, marinated in rice wine with tamarind, cardamom and vegetable pilaf.

—Matthew Fort

The immense variety of salads, marinated vegetables and beans, frittatas and little tarts that appear on Italian antipasto tables and Spanish tapas bars also provide ideas for this approach.

—Susan Jane Cheney

often : to coat or cover (food) with herbs, spices, etc. and let rest before cooking or serving

… a new-fangled brochette of shrimp marinated in spices and skewered with sweet, creamy chunks of date.

—William Grimes

… herb-marinated cashew cheese served with garnishes like olives, honey and dates.

—Florence Fabricant

… had the genius idea to fill a tender crust with thinly sliced lemons marinated in sugar.

—Monica Micahel Willis

intransitive verb

: to become marinated

Have rabbit cleaned and cut into small serving pieces. Place in bowl. Pour burgundy over it. Allow to marinate for 6 hours.

—Maria Lo Pinto

Ceviche, a Peruvian appetizer also popular in the Caribbean and Central America, is prepared by combining bite-size pieces of raw fish with lime or lemon juice and allowing the mixture to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

—Bon Appetit

marination

ˌmer-ə-ˈnā-shən 

ˌma-rə-

noun

Examples of marinate in a Sentence

The recipe says that you should marinate the chicken overnight.

The chicken should be allowed to marinate overnight.

Recent Examples on the Web

At Sandals’ Jerk Shacks, chefs stay true to that tradition by marinating chicken, pork, and fish in a fiery mix of Scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and allspice, then grilling it over pimento wood. —Sandals Resorts, AFAR Media, 2 June 2025

Recently, there were four varieties of kimchi, including baby bok choy; pickled radish; chunky potato salad; marinated perilla leaves; bean sprouts; kelp noodles; fried zucchini rounds; a vegetable pancake; and marinated seaweed. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025

Creole Snapper At Favorites Bistro Bar in New London, Connecticut, the creole snapper showcases a whole red snapper marinated in house spices, served with black rice, seasonal greens, and sweet plantains. —Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025

The slow cooker has been repurposed to marinate olives in fennel and citrus for an appetizer. —Priya Krishna, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from Italian marinato, past participle of marinare to marinate, from marino

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for marinate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

marinate

verb

mar·​i·​nate ˈmar-ə-ˌnāt 

marinated; marinating

: to soak in a marinade