ooze

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈüz 

1

: a soft deposit (as of mud, slime, or shells) on the bottom of a body of water

The turtle buried itself in the ooze.

2

: a piece of soft wet plastic ground : a marsh or bog that results from the flow of a spring, stream, or brooklet

ooze

2 of 3

verb

oozed; oozing

intransitive verb

1

: to pass or flow slowly through or as if through small openings or interstices

2

: to move slowly or imperceptibly

the crowd began to ooze forward

—Bruce Marshall

3

a

: to exude moisture

b

: to exude something often in a faintly repellent manner

ooze with sympathy

transitive verb

1

: to emit slowly

2

: exude sense 2

ooze confidence

ooze

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: a decoction of vegetable material used for tanning leather

2

: the act of oozing

3

: something that oozes

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• guck
• gook
• mire
• muck
• mud
• slime
• slop
• sludge
• slush

Verb

• bleed
• exude
• percolate
• seep
• strain
• sweat
• transude
• weep

Examples of ooze in a Sentence

Noun (1)

our car tires sank deep in the ooze

Verb

Sap oozed from the tree.

Juice oozed out of the plum.

The cut on her finger was oozing with blood.

The tree was oozing sap.

The cut on her finger was oozing blood.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The reason whooping cough can bring on such a gnarly, well, cough in the first place is because of how B. pertussis wreaks havoc: These bugs latch on to the cilia (a.k.a. tiny hairlike protrusions) on cells in your respiratory tract and ooze toxins, triggering inflammation and swelling. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Feb. 2025

Set at the picturesque Lake Oconee, 75 miles east of Atlanta, the location oozes old world charm. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2025

Verb

Victims develop high fevers, deep rashes and oozing pustules. —William J. Broad, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025

Stevenson oozed presidential timber, but, alas, only 46 Americans so far have become our supreme leader. —Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English wose, from Old English wāse mire; akin to Old Norse veisa stagnant water

Verb

Middle English wosen, from wose sap

Noun (2)

Middle English wose sap, juice, from Old English wōs; akin to Old High German waso damp

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ooze

• blues
• boos
• booze
• brews
• bruise
• chews
• choose
• chuse
• clews
• clues
• coups
• crews

Kids Definition

ooze

1 of 3 noun

ˈüz 

: soft mud or slime (as on the bottom of a lake)

ooze

2 of 3 verb

oozed; oozing

1

: to flow or leak slowly

sap oozed from the tree

2

: emit sense 1a

a manner that oozed confidence

ooze

3 of 3 noun

: something that oozes