binge

American  

[binj] / bɪndʒ /

noun

1. a period or bout, usually brief, of excessive indulgence, as in eating, drinking alcoholic beverages, etc.; spree.

   Synonyms:

   orgy, toot, bust, tear, jag, blast, bender

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verb (used without object)

binged, bingeing, binging

1. to have a binge.

   to binge on junk food.

binge British  

/ bɪndʒ /

noun

1. a bout of excessive eating or drinking

2. excessive indulgence in anything

   a shopping binge

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verb

1. to indulge in a binge (esp of eating or drinking)

binge Idioms  

1. see go on, def. 9.

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Other Word Forms

• binger noun

Etymology

Origin of binge

First recorded in 1850–55; dialectal (Lincolnshire) binge “to soak”; further origin unknown

Explanation

A binge is a brief period of doing something excessively. You might celebrate your birthday by indulging in a banana cream pie binge if that's your very favorite dessert. Binge rhymes with fringe. If you give in to your urges and really indulge yourself, you binge on something, whether it's candy, video games, or shopping. There's an implied sense in the word binge that you're doing too much of something that isn't very good for you in the first place. Binge is also a verb, as in people who binge on television, watching show after show.

Example Sentences

The company embarked on an expensive recruiting binge last year for top AI talent, some of whom drew nine-figure paychecks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

We have also heard of patients binge eating, cross-dressing and recklessly investing - and others who pursued homosexual relationships for the first time.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

Over last summer, Meta went on a hiring binge, reportedly offering nine-figure, multiyear pay packages to many of the best AI researchers in the world.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

Now that the 2026 Oscar nominations are out, it’s officially binge watch o’clock.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

It’s a puzzle why we binge on the sweetest and greasiest food we can find, until we consider the eating habits of our forager forebears.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• orgy