The Meaning of Douche: What It Is and How To Use It

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What is the act of douching? What does it mean if someone is acting like a douche? This article will define douche and teach you how to use it in various situations. Then, you will learn where the word douche originated. 

Finally, this article will provide both translations of the word douche and synonyms of the word douche. In addition, this article will provide a comprehensive definition of the word douche so that you can learn exactly what it means.

What Does Douche Mean?

According to Dictionary, douche is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, the word douche refers to the application of a jet of water to a cavity or body part, usually for hygienic purposes. It can also refer to the act of applying such a stream of water. Finally, douche is a slang term. The pronunciation of douche is duʃ.

The Act of Douching

Most people choose to douche using a stream of water from a water pipe and antiseptics or baking soda. The vagina is the most common orifice where people douche. 

There are several reasons why a woman might choose to douche her vagina, but douching isn’t a great idea. Instead, see a women’s health expert if you have questions about your vaginal health.

Many people choose to douche because they are afraid of having a vaginal odor. However, a slight vaginal odor is normal. If you have a very pungent vaginal odor, you should see a doctor because it may indicate a deeper issue. The use of douches is not recommended by women’s health experts on any part of the body.

Some people choose to douche to get rid of excess menstrual blood. Others choose to douche as a contraceptive, which is not a valid or effective form of contraception. In addition, douching can damage the fallopian tubes, which puts a woman at a higher risk for ectopic pregnancy.

Douching is not a safe practice and can lead to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), vaginal infections, difficulties getting pregnant, and more. In addition, douching is dangerous because it upsets the vagina’s PH balance and the vaginal flora, leading to yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease.

The Slang Term Douche

The word douche is also a slang noun. As a slang term, a douche is a contemptible person. Often, a person who is a douche is overly suave and rude. Sometimes, someone who is a douche is also called a douchebag. 

What Is the Etymology of Douche?

The word douche first entered the English language in the late 1600s. The word douche comes directly from the French douche

This French term comes from the Italian doccia, which means water pipe, from the Italian doccione which means drainpipe. These Italian words come from the Latin ductus, which means duct, and the Latin dūcere.

What Are Translations of Douche?

Several languages around the world have their own translations of the word douche. You can learn many of these translations of douche by studying the below list of translations of douche from Nice Translator

If you are going to be working int feminine health or medical industries in other countries where they do not speak English, it can be useful to know how to say the word douche in another language. 

You never know when you might need to encourage someone not to use a douche, so read on to learn more!

  • Vietnamese: tuyet voi
  • German: Dusche
  • Portuguese (Brazil): douche
  • Japanese: 潅水
  • Swedish: sköljning
  • Croatian: tuš
  • Telugu: డౌచే
  • Italian: douche
  • French: douche
  • Ukrainian: душ
  • Romanian: duş
  • Portuguese (Portugal): douche
  • Gujarati: ઝરવું
  • Finnish: suihku
  • Greek: ντους
  • Urdu: ڈوچ
  • Basque: hodi
  • Polish: natrysk
  • Estonian: dušš
  • Hebrew: שְׁטִיפָה
  • Arabic: نضح
  • Chinese (PRC): 冲洗
  • Latvian: duša
  • Spanish: ducha
  • Russian: душ
  • Serbian: доуш
  • Czech: sprcha
  • Kannada: ಗದ್ದೆ
  • Bulgarian: душ
  • Bengali: ডুচে
  • Chinese (Taiwan): 沖洗
  • Thai: เสียง
  • Hindi: खंगालना
  • Catalan: dutxa
  • Malayalam: ഡച്ച്
  • Marathi: डौश
  • Slovak: spletenie
  • Hungarian: zuhany
  • Turkish: hile
  • Korean: 주수
  • Tamil: டூச்
  • Lithuanian: dushe

What Are Synonyms of Douche?

Power Thesaurus lists several synonyms for both definitions of the word douche. Some of these are synonyms for a stream of water or the act of spraying or streaming water into something, while others are synonyms for the slang term for an annoying or despicable person.

As a slang term, the word douche is very vulgar and inappropriate for many formal and professional situations. Some of the below synonyms are also inappropriate slang terms. 

If you believe someone is a douche, you should be careful before describing them as such, because it can be insulting and offensive. 

  • ablution
  • ablutions
  • affusion
  • asshole
  • bad egg
  • bastard
  • bath
  • bathe
  • bathing
  • bathroom
  • bathtub
  • besprinkle
  • cleanse
  • dip
  • douche bag
  • douchebag
  • douching
  • douse
  • drench
  • flush
  • hose down
  • idiot
  • imbue
  • impregnate
  • infuse
  • irrigation
  • jerk
  • lavage
  • lavation
  • lave
  • laving
  • prick
  • rinse
  • rinsing
  • saturate
  • scour
  • scrub
  • scrubbing
  • shampoo
  • shower
  • shower bath
  • shower head
  • soak
  • soaking
  • soaping
  • spatter
  • sponge
  • sponging
  • spray
  • sprinkle
  • syringe
  • wash
  • washing
  • watering can

Conclusion

The definition of douche (doosh) is twofold. First, douche can refer to vaginal douching, which is the cleaning of the vagina via a water pipe and antiseptics. Douching is not recommended by medical professionals or women’s health experts because it can create a PH imbalance in the vagina. 

Second, the word douche is a slang term for someone who is annoying or contemptible. This word has a negative connotation and is considered an insult. Often, a person who is a douche is overly slick or suave to a level that is fake or phony. 

Sources:

Douche Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

Douche | Power Thesaurus  

Douche | Nice Translator