Marinate
verb
To soak food in a sauce before cooking to make it more tender or to add flavor.
I marinate the chicken in soy sauce and spices overnight before grilling it.
Often appears as...
- marinate overnight
- marinate in sauce
verb
To think deeply about something for a long time.
He needs time to marinate on the idea before making a decision.
Often appears as...
- marinate on thought
- marinate on idea
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
verb
To soak food in a sauce before cooking to make it more tender or to add flavor.
I marinate the chicken in soy sauce and spices overnight before grilling it.
Often appears as...
- marinate overnight
- marinate in sauce
verb
To think deeply about something for a long time.
He needs time to marinate on the idea before making a decision.
Often appears as...
- marinate on thought
- marinate on idea
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Culinary Term
Used in cooking contexts to describe preparing food with a flavorful liquid.
Let's marinate the tofu in this herb mix.
Pro Tip 2/3Time Factor
Marinating often implies letting the food sit for hours for better taste.
If you marinate these ribs now, they'll be perfect by dinner.
Pro Tip 3/3Active Process
Emphasizes an ongoing action; food is actively absorbing flavors.
The beef has been marinating since morning.
Pro Tip 1/3Culinary Term
Used in cooking contexts to describe preparing food with a flavorful liquid.
Let's marinate the tofu in this herb mix.
Pro Tip 2/3Time Factor
Marinating often implies letting the food sit for hours for better taste.
If you marinate these ribs now, they'll be perfect by dinner.
Pro Tip 3/3Active Process
Emphasizes an ongoing action; food is actively absorbing flavors.
The beef has been marinating since morning.
Pro Tip 1/3Culinary Term
Used in cooking contexts to describe preparing food with a flavorful liquid.
Let's marinate the tofu in this herb mix.
Pro Tip 2/3Time Factor
Marinating often implies letting the food sit for hours for better taste.
If you marinate these ribs now, they'll be perfect by dinner.
Pro Tip 3/3Active Process
Emphasizes an ongoing action; food is actively absorbing flavors.
The beef has been marinating since morning.
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Video examples
Social animal - David...
it marinate in your mind distract yourself and then a few days later go with your gut because unconsciously you've figured it out the second insight is that emotions are at the center of our thinking people with strokes and lesions in the emotion processing parts of the brain are not super smart they're actually quite sometimes quite helpless
Video examples
How to teach kids to...
And as I watched the conversation really marinate with my students, I began to wonder how many of my students have assumptions just like Abby. And what happens when those assumptions go unnoticed and unaddressed, as they so often do? But first, I think it's important to take a step back and even consider what makes a topic taboo.
Video examples
Nathan Myhrvold: Cut...
if you make the buns and you marinate the meat and you do all this stuff, it does take about 30 hours. Of course, you're not actually working the whole time. Most of the time is kind of sitting there. The point of this cutaway is to show people a view of hamburgers they haven't seen before and to explain the physics of hamburgers
Video examples
Award-winning teen-age...
but it seems like soy sauce actually increased the potential carcinogens. Another important factor that I didn't take into account initially was the time cooked. And I found that if you increase the time cooked, the amount of carcinogens rapidly increases. So the best way to marinate chicken, based on this,
Video examples
Carl Honore: In praise...
I mean, these are sort of the extreme examples, and they're amusing and good to laugh at. But there's a very serious point, and I think that in the headlong dash of daily life, we often lose sight of the damage that this roadrunner form of living does to us. We're so marinated in the culture of speed
Video examples
Mattias Klum: Lions,...
climbing and you know you cannot just you finally finally found the animal what can you catch it don't pee on me and scare you just know you must let it happen basically poor guy anyway so he got marinated and he didn't want to call her on the money after that so now we're
Video examples
David Brooks: The social...
And the way you should do that is study the furniture, let it marinate in your mind, distract yourself, and then a few days later, go with your gut, because unconsciously you've figured it out. The second insight is that emotions are at the center of our thinking.
Video examples
Praising slowness - Carl...
life we we often lose sight of the damage that this Roadrunner form of living does to us we're so marinated in the culture of speed that we we almost fail to notice the toll it takes on every aspect of our lives on our health
Video examples
Meerkats vs. Puff Adder...
the meerkat puffs look on as the adults take care of business I think we've got a winner it's the meerkats in a unanimous decision as the puff adder skedaddled and the meerkats marinate in the glory of victory
Video examples
Meerkats vs. Puff Adder...
meerkats in a unanimous decision as the puff adder skedaddled and the meerkats marinate in the glory of victory
Video examples
Social animal - David...
it marinate in your mind distract yourself and then a few days later go with your gut because unconsciously you've figured it out the second insight is that emotions are at the center of our thinking people with strokes and lesions in the emotion processing parts of the brain are not super smart they're actually quite sometimes quite helpless
Video examples
How to teach kids to...
And as I watched the conversation really marinate with my students, I began to wonder how many of my students have assumptions just like Abby. And what happens when those assumptions go unnoticed and unaddressed, as they so often do? But first, I think it's important to take a step back and even consider what makes a topic taboo.
Video examples
Nathan Myhrvold: Cut...
if you make the buns and you marinate the meat and you do all this stuff, it does take about 30 hours. Of course, you're not actually working the whole time. Most of the time is kind of sitting there. The point of this cutaway is to show people a view of hamburgers they haven't seen before and to explain the physics of hamburgers
Video examples
Award-winning teen-age...
but it seems like soy sauce actually increased the potential carcinogens. Another important factor that I didn't take into account initially was the time cooked. And I found that if you increase the time cooked, the amount of carcinogens rapidly increases. So the best way to marinate chicken, based on this,
Video examples
Carl Honore: In praise...
I mean, these are sort of the extreme examples, and they're amusing and good to laugh at. But there's a very serious point, and I think that in the headlong dash of daily life, we often lose sight of the damage that this roadrunner form of living does to us. We're so marinated in the culture of speed
Video examples
Mattias Klum: Lions,...
climbing and you know you cannot just you finally finally found the animal what can you catch it don't pee on me and scare you just know you must let it happen basically poor guy anyway so he got marinated and he didn't want to call her on the money after that so now we're
Video examples
David Brooks: The social...
And the way you should do that is study the furniture, let it marinate in your mind, distract yourself, and then a few days later, go with your gut, because unconsciously you've figured it out. The second insight is that emotions are at the center of our thinking.
Video examples
Praising slowness - Carl...
life we we often lose sight of the damage that this Roadrunner form of living does to us we're so marinated in the culture of speed that we we almost fail to notice the toll it takes on every aspect of our lives on our health
Video examples
Meerkats vs. Puff Adder...
the meerkat puffs look on as the adults take care of business I think we've got a winner it's the meerkats in a unanimous decision as the puff adder skedaddled and the meerkats marinate in the glory of victory
Video examples
Meerkats vs. Puff Adder...
meerkats in a unanimous decision as the puff adder skedaddled and the meerkats marinate in the glory of victory
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Sebastian Maniscalco
American Comedian
I give a facial expression in a moment of silence for audiences to react to what I just said and kind of let that marinate with the audience for a little bit. I enjoy the physical part of the comedy as much as the verbal content. People tend to gravitate to not only what they're hearing but also what they're seeing.
Quote examples
Katy Mixon
American Actress
Whenever you're blessed and given a second season, you can really let the characters evolve. That first season, you're setting everything up. It's background, where they're coming from, what they want to do. And then you get to marinate in it that second season.
Quote examples
Carl Honore
Canadian Journalist
We're so marinated in the culture of speed that we almost fail to notice the toll it takes on every aspect of our lives - on our health, our diet, our work, our relationships, the environment and our community.
Quote examples
DMX
American Musician
I'm not the mixtape guy who's gonna put out a new one every month. I'm gonna allow my albums to marinate and resonate and whatever type of 'ates' they can do. I'm gonna let my music grow on them.
Quote examples
Frankie Cosmos
American Musician
Those emotions that are really strong, the ones that inspire a song, you can hold onto that. You can let it marinate for years and keep writing about it even better than you did then.
Quote examples
Graham Joyce
English Writer
Our literary culture is marinated in deep traditions of the fantastic and the supernatural, and we export those rich qualities in films and books on a spectacular industrial scale.
Quote examples
Danai Gurira
American Actress
Actors may not realize the extent of their own power. Acting is creation. It's them bringing their own stuff, letting it marinate in their soul, in their creative engine.
Quote examples
Guy Fieri
American Businessman
If you're feeling adventurous, grill up some marinated octopus. It's so healthy.
Quote examples
Monty Williams
American Coach
I get how you have to marinate your bigs. They take longer.
Quote examples
Cate Blanchett
Australian Actress
I feel like I've been marinated in Australian theatre.
Quote examples
Sebastian Maniscalco
American Comedian
I give a facial expression in a moment of silence for audiences to react to what I just said and kind of let that marinate with the audience for a little bit. I enjoy the physical part of the comedy as much as the verbal content. People tend to gravitate to not only what they're hearing but also what they're seeing.
Quote examples
Katy Mixon
American Actress
Whenever you're blessed and given a second season, you can really let the characters evolve. That first season, you're setting everything up. It's background, where they're coming from, what they want to do. And then you get to marinate in it that second season.
Quote examples
Carl Honore
Canadian Journalist
We're so marinated in the culture of speed that we almost fail to notice the toll it takes on every aspect of our lives - on our health, our diet, our work, our relationships, the environment and our community.
Quote examples
DMX
American Musician
I'm not the mixtape guy who's gonna put out a new one every month. I'm gonna allow my albums to marinate and resonate and whatever type of 'ates' they can do. I'm gonna let my music grow on them.
Quote examples
Frankie Cosmos
American Musician
Those emotions that are really strong, the ones that inspire a song, you can hold onto that. You can let it marinate for years and keep writing about it even better than you did then.
Quote examples
Graham Joyce
English Writer
Our literary culture is marinated in deep traditions of the fantastic and the supernatural, and we export those rich qualities in films and books on a spectacular industrial scale.
Quote examples
Danai Gurira
American Actress
Actors may not realize the extent of their own power. Acting is creation. It's them bringing their own stuff, letting it marinate in their soul, in their creative engine.
Quote examples
Guy Fieri
American Businessman
If you're feeling adventurous, grill up some marinated octopus. It's so healthy.
Quote examples
Monty Williams
American Coach
I get how you have to marinate your bigs. They take longer.
Quote examples
Cate Blanchett
Australian Actress
I feel like I've been marinated in Australian theatre.
Example 1 of 10
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