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Synonyms

dripping

American  
[drip-ing] / ˈdrɪp ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of something that drips.

  2. Often drippings.

    1. the liquid that drips.

    2. fat and juices exuded from meat in cooking, used for basting, for making gravy, or as a cooking fat.

dripping British  
/ ˈdrɪpɪŋ /

noun

  1. the fat exuded by roasting meat

  2. (often plural) liquid that falls in drops

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. (intensifier)

    dripping wet
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dripping

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; drip, -ing 1

Vocabulary lists containing dripping

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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.

Chen fitted me with what looked like an enormous diving mask that quickly filled with cool, hydrating mist — I felt droplets of water dripping from my eyes and down my cheeks.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

The persistent plunk, plunk, plunk of icicles dripping into an aluminum gutter — a sound that is less birdsong than plumbing.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

"When you get hit, it hurts, but it's mostly your pride that takes the blow," said Toshihiro Takahashi, a 48-year-old civil servant dripping with sweat after his match.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

Stalagmites, which grow over time from mineral deposits left by dripping water, act as natural records of past rainfall.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026

Once more he lifted the dripping book from the vat.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

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.