to drink (a liquid) a little at a time; take small tastes of.
He sipped the hot tea noisily.
to drink from a little at a time.
The bird sipped the flower.
to take in; absorb.
to sip knowledge at its source.
an instance of sipping; a small taste of a liquid.
One sip told me that the milk was sour.
a small quantity taken by sipping.
Take just a sip, not a gulp or a swallow.
a small quantity of a liquid taken into the mouth and swallowed
an act of sipping
See drink.
1350–1400; Middle English sippen (v.), akin to Low German sippen to sip
When you drink a small amount of something, you sip it. If your cocoa is extremely hot, you should probably sip it until it cools off a little bit. You may sit in a corner and sip your punch at a dull party, but when your long hike leaves you parched, it's hard to sip from your water bottle instead of guzzling. As a noun sip means "small drink," like a sip of Coke or a sip of soup. The origin of sip isn't clear, though we know it's related to the Old English supan, "take into the mouth a little at a time."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I think the angst — it’s anger, and sadness,” Korn says as she takes a sip of her matcha latte.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
The Spanish also feel the pull, we take a final sip.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
Perhaps the most common hydration-focused products available are the smart water bottles that remind you to take a sip throughout the day.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
But if you can’t get a grab bag, you can perhaps sip on an award-winning wine.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 24, 2026
She took a sip of the cool, creamy beverage—and promptly spit it out all over her new dress.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
She then scoured council documents and found there had been a significant rise in the number of penalties issued in the first year the SIP car park was open.
From BBC ● May 19, 2025
The ratings provided for each SIP intervention were applied subjectively based on discussions with experts, literature research, and modelling.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 22, 2023
SIP termination is a process by which a phone call is sent from one provider to another.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 17, 2023
“The baseline that was established during the SIP and FIP really did show that there was some work that could be done.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 8, 2017
SIP sop stir-up Toorak small beer do si la sol fa me re do Nip nap wash down chops nacks oh! dear.
From The Eureka Stockade by Carboni, Raffaello
For over a month, they survived on "tiny sips of water" and "a little lentils".
From Barron's ● Mar. 22, 2026
She sips tea throughout the interview in an effort to protect her voice, which is "really delicate" - not from the concerts, but because "I've been talking too much to my friends".
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026
On the day after Christmas, Caldeira drives past Santas and reindeer that have already begun to deflate as he listens to audio books and sips his berry energy drink.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 31, 2025
Dressed in baggy jeans and a billowy linen shirt, she sips a green juice as a takeout bag from Sqirl sits next to her on a picnic table.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2025
I manage to take a few sips without slowing down and then toss the bottle back to him.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
Over the past several months, I’ve cooked, grilled, smoked, sipped and served my way through a wide range of products perfect for summer gatherings.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
In front of the cafe, 36-year-old army veteran Dmytro sipped an espresso, despite the ashes swirling around him.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
As she sipped a coffee, she reflected on those 21-year-old aspirations.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
Men and women from their 20s to their 70s slurped hakka noodles and sipped pinot grigio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
I sipped my coffee and thought about Mabel Ren.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
“The taste is the inheritance,” said Kaweenuntawong, who remembers sipping spoonfuls as a toddler.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Meaning he won’t spend the time between now and Nov. 3 at some swank beach resort, sipping one of those colorful cocktails with a little paper parasol while musing over his inaugural address.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Up top are mellow selections made for sipping soda or soju.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
The best times to encounter them are at dawn or dusk, when most tourists are sleeping or sipping caipirinhas.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
Felix turned to see her sitting in a high-back maroon chair and sipping a cup of tea.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
