Synonyms

drinking

American

[dring-king] / ˈdrɪŋ kɪŋ /

adjective

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

a drinking companion.

noun

habitual and excessive consumption of alcohol.

His drinking caused him to lose his job.

Other Word Forms

undrinking adjective

Etymology

Origin of drinking

A Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; 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.

Zara’s got one in her hand too, but I know she’s not drinking it.

From Literature

As she nuzzled her face into the small girl’s nest of hair, a warm look came over her: deeply content, as if her soul were drinking a huge cup of tea.

From Literature

Fewer people are eating dessert and drinking like they used to.

From The Wall Street Journal

It not only provides drinking water, but can also be split into hydrogen and oxygen to provide air for astronauts to breathe, and even fuel for spacecraft.

From BBC

"Immediate supply of food, drinking water, basic necessities is required to sustain the crew," said the message to the team's helpline.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023