Kool-Aid

American

[kool-eyd] / ˈkulˌeɪd /

Trademark.

a brand name for a powdered mix used to make a sugary, fruit-flavored drink.

noun

a drink made from this mix.

idioms

drink the Kool-Aid, to support or believe in something in a blindly enthusiastic way.

A level-headed reporter, he didn’t drink the Kool-Aid on the tax issue.

Etymology

Origin of Kool-Aid

Kool-Aid def. 3 in reference to the 1978 Jonestown Massacre, in which a cult leader supposedly convinced followers to drink a poisoned beverage

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kraft Heinz, known for Heinz Ketchup, Kraft Mac and Cheese, Jell-O and Kool-Aid brands, reported a year-over-year sales decline for the ninth straight quarter, as sales in North America offset continued growth in overseas markets.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 11, 2026

Bowling coach Jeetan Patel was drinking the Kool-Aid when it was put to him Bashir had become unselectable during the third Test in Adelaide.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

Instead, the company is fast-tracking a soulless brand-based cash grab: a Kool-Aid movie.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2025

People who know exactly what they’re doing, and they haven’t drunk the Kool-Aid.

From Slate • Jun. 4, 2024

It would be a long time before I told this story to someone in America and learned the reason why: the Kool-Aid was supposed to be mixed with sugar, and sugar was expensive.

From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023