drink
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to take water or other liquid into the mouth and swallow it; imbibe.
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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
-
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 byto ).
They drank to his victory.
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to be savored or enjoyed by drinking.
a wine that will drink deliciously for many years.
verb (used with object)
-
to take (a liquid) into the mouth and swallow.
- Synonyms:
- quaff
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to take in (a liquid) in any manner; absorb.
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to take in through the senses, especially with eagerness and pleasure (often followed byin ).
He drank in the beauty of the scene.
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to swallow the contents of (a cup, glass, etc.).
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to propose or participate in a toast to (a person, thing, or event).
to drink one's health.
- Synonyms:
- toast
noun
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any liquid that is swallowed to quench thirst, for nourishment, etc.; beverage.
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excessive indulgence in alcohol.
Drink was his downfall.
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a swallow or draft of liquid; potion.
She took a drink of water before she spoke.
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Informal. Usually the drink a large body of water, as a lake, ocean, river, etc..
His teammates threw him in the drink.
verb
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to swallow (a liquid); imbibe
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(tr) to take in or soak up (liquid); absorb
this plant drinks a lot of water
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to pay close attention (to); be fascinated (by)
he drank in the speaker's every word
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(tr) to bring (oneself into a certain condition) by consuming alcohol
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to dispose of or ruin by excessive expenditure on alcohol
he drank away his fortune
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(intr) to consume alcohol, esp to excess
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to drink (a toast) in celebration, honour, or hope (of)
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to be able to drink more intoxicating beverage than someone
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to salute or celebrate with a toast
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informal to drink alone
noun
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liquid suitable for drinking; any beverage
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alcohol or its habitual or excessive consumption
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a portion of liquid for drinking; draught
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informal the sea
Usage
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.
Commonly Confused
See drunk ( def. ).
Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
- drinkable adjective
- outdrink verb (used with object)
- overdrink verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of drink
First recorded before 900; Middle English drinken, Old English drincan; cognate with Dutch drinken, German trinken, Gothic drinkan, Old Norse drekka
Explanation
To drink is to sip, slurp, or gulp a liquid. On extremely hot days, it's important to drink plenty of water. When you ingest any liquid, you drink it, although the verb drink is very often used to refer specifically to the sipping and swallowing of alcoholic beverages. If a bartender asks, "Do you drink?" she probably means "Do you drink alcohol?" A drink, likewise, can mean any beverage — tea, water, or lemonade — or it can mean an alcoholic one. The Old English root, drincan means both "to drink" and "to engulf."
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.
Beverage options are also “limited due to upmass constraints, which restrict how much food and drink can be carried onboard.”
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
The couple said they understood Ryan had been with a friend from another unit and they had split from each other while Ryan finished a drink.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
On the other hand, when participants thought a drink contained sugar, they reported greater enjoyment, even when the drink actually used artificial sweeteners.
From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026
A half-century later, the drink that was once a flop would crack $1 billion of annual revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
“Hey, drink this. You look like you’re about to faint.”
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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.
