soak up

soak something up 

1. Lit. to gather up moisture or a liquid, using an absorbent cloth, paper, etc. Alice soaked the spill up with a sponge. she soaked up the spilled milk.

2. Lit. [for cloth, paper, or other absorbent material] to absorb moisture or a liquid. Please get some paper towels to soak the spill up. The sponge soaked up the orange juice.

3. Fig. to learn or absorb some information; to learn much information. I can't soak information up as fast as I used to be able to. The tourists will soak up anything you tell them.

See also: soak, up

---

soak up something also soak something up

1. to enjoy something I just want to lie on the beach and soak up the sun. What does he think of all the praise he's getting? He's soaking it up.

2. to learn and remember something easily and quickly Jill soaks up everything that's said in class. Music came naturally to him, and when he heard something, he soaked it up and could play it.

3. to use all of something The price of heating oil will not rise until the cold weather soaks up the huge amount waiting to be sold. There was a budget surplus, but the needs of the military will surely soak it up.

See also: soak, up