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.
“Pretend we’re on the Titanic,” he told his fiancée, “and we’re sinking and we’re drinking Champagne.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Overall, researchers found no clear link between coffee drinking and a greater risk of developing high blood pressure.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
One hyper-realistic AI video circulating on Elon Musk's platform X purports to show the pair laughing and drinking wine at a restaurant, with a voiceover claiming "they are on a date."
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Initially the mood was lively with green flares let off and fans drinking but by early evening it had turned uglier.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
Sheep were everywhere, grazing in green fields, lazing beneath trees, or drinking at the stream.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
