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.

He believes this trend is driven by pandemic-era surges in drinking and an increase in people with risk factors for MASLD, like obesity and diabetes.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

Volunteer firefighters like Maitree Nuanja do their best to bolster limited local capacity, relying heavily on donations such as drinking water and face masks.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Zeldin said the environmental agency will add microplastics and pharmaceuticals to its list of concerning chemicals in drinking water.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

According to a study by Data for India, about 15% of urban households and 6% of rural households depend on bottled water for their drinking needs.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Maybe we’d be upstairs right now, in my closet, me wrapped in a blanket and drinking cocoa, Dismay sitting across from me with his big dog mouth panting, so glad to be alive.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

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