First recorded in 1960–65; from Spanish; perhaps special use of Margarita, a woman's name; see Margaret
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In many U.S. cities, $20 cocktails are becoming the norm as bars try to offset higher labor and input costs with eye-watering margarita bills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
Once the bartender spots me, she starts preparing a margarita — with lots of love, as she likes to describe it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
A recruit from Chi-Chi’s developed a signature margarita and the restaurant quickly made money.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
"I flagged the waiter and said, 'I don't mind a bit of salt in my margarita but I'm sipping this, and it feels like my blood pressure is going up."
From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2026
Among modern languages, we have,—Span., margarita; Ital., margarita and maugherita; Fr., marguerite, but used only in the proverb, "Il ne faut pas jeter les marguerites devant les pourceaux."
From Notes and Queries, Number 179, April 2, 1853. A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc by Bell, George
"The queen came to say hello to us -- and I was wearing this dirty thing," said Margarita.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Resting in the sports hall in Villamanta, Margarita, 70, pointed to the stains on her T-shirt -- the same one she had been wearing for four days.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Five people live with widow Margarita Mayora, 79.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
Sandy desperately wants Margarita to get a job but her first steps toward independence come when she spies a hobby horse rehearsal and becomes fixated on joining.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
Margarita scowled at the large bill I pressed into her hand.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
It’s a world of classical pianists and opera singers rather than thumping bass, Gothic palaces over private islands in the Bahamas and fine Barolo instead of sugary margaritas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
America’s most middlebrow casual restaurant, with America’s squarest CEO, selling fried cheese and margaritas and fajita plates that you can eat off for days.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2025
The Mexican food scene outside Milwaukee and maybe Racine is still mostly combo plates washed down with massive margaritas, or cartoonishly big burritos in the Chipotle model.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2025
"When everything is said and done, I think we're all gonna go get margaritas and just have a good cry."
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2025
“She would have loved to meet you. Birdie and your grandma are probably drinking margaritas in heaven, looking down and talking about what a fine kid you are.”
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
