- present participle of drink.
drinking
Americanadjective
-
suitable or safe to drink.
drinking water.
-
used in drinking.
a drinking glass.
-
addicted to or indulging excessively in alcohol.
Is he a drinking man?
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of or relating to the act of drinking, especially the drinking of alcohol.
a drinking companion.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of drinking
A Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; see origin at drink, -ing 2, -ing 1
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.
The teen behind the lawsuit told The Times he remembers one of his classmates getting sick after drinking from the same jug.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
As Ms. Barbier observes, “the delegates drinking together for months in 1775 and 1776 helped eventually, slowly, build consensus toward independence.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
Steven Andersen, in his fifties, the grandson of a Norwegian immigrant to the United States, was wearing the vibrant red jersey of Norway's team and drinking in the scene in a bar.
From Barron's • Jun. 27, 2026
These spaces - in libraries, city farms, theatres, churches, community centres and even supermarkets - provide seating, drinking water and toilets, and many are open to pets as well.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
“I know. But I read that drinking hot beverages in hot weather helps with the heat.”
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
