drink

[ dringk ]

verb (used without object)

, drank [drangk] or (Nonstandard) drunk [druhngk]; drunk or, often, drank; drink·ing.

1. to take water or other liquid into the mouth and swallow it; imbibe.
2. to imbibe alcoholic drinks, especially habitually or to excess; tipple: They won't find jobs until they stop drinking.

   He never drinks.

   They won't find jobs until they stop drinking.

   Synonyms: tope

3. to show one's respect, affection, or hopes with regard to a person, thing, or event by ceremoniously taking a swallow of wine or some other drink (often followed by to ):

   They drank to his victory.

4. to be savored or enjoyed by drinking:

   a wine that will drink deliciously for many years.

verb (used with object)

, drank [drangk] or (Nonstandard) drunk [druhngk]; drunk or, often, drank; drink·ing.

1. to take (a liquid) into the mouth and swallow.

   Synonyms: quaff

2. to take in (a liquid) in any manner; absorb.
3. to take in through the senses, especially with eagerness and pleasure (often followed by in ):

   He drank in the beauty of the scene.

4. to swallow the contents of (a cup, glass, etc.).
5. to propose or participate in a toast to (a person, thing, or event):

   to drink one's health.

   Synonyms: toast

noun

1. any liquid that is swallowed to quench thirst, for nourishment, etc.; beverage.
2. liquor; alcohol.
3. excessive indulgence in alcohol:

   Drink was his downfall.

4. a swallow or draft of liquid; potion:

   She took a drink of water before she spoke.

5. Informal. Usually the drink. a large body of water, as a lake, ocean, river, etc.:

   His teammates threw him in the drink.

drink

/ drɪŋk /

verb

1. to swallow (a liquid); imbibe
2. tr to take in or soak up (liquid); absorb

   this plant drinks a lot of water

3. trusually foll byin to pay close attention (to); be fascinated (by)

   he drank in the speaker's every word

4. tr to bring (oneself into a certain condition) by consuming alcohol
5. troften foll byaway to dispose of or ruin by excessive expenditure on alcohol

   he drank away his fortune

6. intr to consume alcohol, esp to excess
7. whenintr, foll by to to drink (a toast) in celebration, honour, or hope (of)
8. drink someone under the table
   drink someone under the table to be able to drink more intoxicating beverage than someone
9. drink the health of
   drink the health of to salute or celebrate with a toast
10. drink with the flies informal.
    drink with the flies to drink alone

noun

1. liquid suitable for drinking; any beverage
2. alcohol or its habitual or excessive consumption
3. a portion of liquid for drinking; draught
4. the drink informal.
   the drink the sea

Usage Note

As with many verbs of the pattern sing, sang, sung and ring, rang, rung, there is some confusion about the forms for the past tense and past participle of drink. The historical reason for this confusion is that originally verbs of this class in Old English had a past-tense singular form in a but a past-tense plural form in u. Generally the form in a has leveled out to become the standard past-tense form: We drank our coffee. However, the past-tense form in u, though considered nonstandard, occurs often in speech: We drunk our coffee. The standard and most frequent form of the past participle of drink in both speech and writing is drunk : Who has drunk all the milk? However, perhaps because of the association of drunk with intoxication, drank is widely used as a past participle in speech by educated persons and must be considered an alternate standard form: The tourists had drank their fill of the scenery.

Confusables Note

See drunk ( def ).

Derived Forms

• ˈdrinkable, adjective

Other Words From

• out·drink verb (used with object) outdrank or (Nonstandard) outdrunk outdrunk or, often, outdrank outdrinking
• o·ver·drink verb (used with object) overdrank or (Nonstandard) overdrunk overdrunk or, often, overdrank overdrinking

Word History and Origins

Origin of drink¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English drinken, Old English drincan; cognate with Dutch drinken, German trinken, Gothic drinkan, Old Norse drekka

Word History and Origins

Origin of drink¹

Old English drincan; related to Old Frisian drinka, Gothic drigkan, Old High German trinkan

Idioms and Phrases

• drive someone crazy (to drink)
• into the drink
• meat and drink to
• nurse a drink

Synonym Study

Drink, imbibe, sip refer to swallowing liquids. Drink is the general word: to drink coffee. Imbibe is formal in reference to actual drinking; it is used more often in the sense to absorb: to imbibe culture. Sip implies drinking little by little: to sip a cup of broth.

Example Sentences

Pack it with snacks, drinks, chairs, and blankets and move from one spot to the next until you find the perfect fishing hole.

From Outside Online

On what was going to be probably our third round, my girlfriend went into the bar, fully masked, to ask Terry for drinks.

From Ozy

People would buy sodas to go with lunches they got from the food court, or energy drinks before a Browns or Cavaliers game.

From ProPublica

Getting in at least one daily work out is great, but you should still get up and move around regularly throughout the day — even if it’s just to get a drink of water or play with a pet.

From Science News For Students

So while I have to reach for a drink on this belt, it’s never a problem as the bottle is angled up and easy to find.

From Outside Online

Coca-Cola was a wildly popular drink and hangover remedy because, well, it contained cocaine.

From The Daily Beast

Their logic: the sea-creature would come alive and drink up any remaining alcohol.

From The Daily Beast

You would drink it, then “take a little nap and after that you feel wonderful,” according to a press agent.

From The Daily Beast

Adults prepare food and drink dark sweet tea on the doorsteps of their homes as they watch their children playing.

From The Daily Beast

Moviegoers enjoyed a drink at the bar and milled around waiting for the 10:15 p.m. showing of The Interview.

From The Daily Beast

The general commanded a halt, and ordered the men to refresh and strengthen themselves by food and drink.

From Project Gutenberg

It was he who first said, If thine enemy hunger give him food, if he thirst give him drink.

From Project Gutenberg

What is, then, this precious drink I read of in my Shakespeare—so precious, that your lordship will not trust him to his butler?

From Project Gutenberg

Over to the spring he ran on his little short legs, and soon he was having a fine drink.

From Project Gutenberg

Woe to you that rise up early in the morning to follow drunkenness, and to drink in the evening, to be inflamed with wine.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• consume
• drain
• gulp
• guzzle
• inhale
• quaff
• sip
• slurp
• suck