drinking

[dring-king]

adjective

1. suitable or safe to drink.

   drinking water.

2. used in drinking.

   a drinking glass.

3. addicted to or indulging excessively in alcohol.

   Is he a drinking man?

4. of or relating to the act of drinking, especially the drinking of alcohol.

   a drinking companion.

noun

1. habitual and excessive consumption of alcohol.

   His drinking caused him to lose his job.

Other Word Forms

• undrinking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of drinking¹

A Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; drink, -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

"Eleven years married, three children. My husband started drinking alcohol, started getting on the whisky and then he divorced me," she says.

From BBC

So if I could turn back time and start drinking and banking collagen in my 20s, would I have smoother, more youthful skin now, I ask him?

From BBC

As a married couple, every morning before work, we sit by the pool under palm trees drinking coffee.

From Los Angeles Times

The continued drinking and drug use of those around her didn’t help.

From Los Angeles Times

Some pet cats that live on dairy farms were infected with the H5N1 virus by drinking raw milk.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• expenditure 
• utilization