slurp
Americanverb (used with object)
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slurps,
present (3rd person singular)
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slurped,
past participle, past
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slurping
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
slurps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
slurped,
past participle, past
-
slurping
present participle
noun
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slurps
plural
-
an intake of food or drink with a noisy sucking sound.
He finished his milk in about three slurps.
-
any lapping or splashing sound.
the slurp of the waves against the hull.
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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slurpsimple
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slurpssimple
-
have slurpedperfect
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has slurpedperfect
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am slurpingprogressive
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are slurpingprogressive
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is slurpingprogressive
-
have been slurpingperfect progressive
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has been slurpingperfect progressive
Past
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slurpedsimple
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had slurpedperfect
-
was slurpingprogressive
-
were slurpingprogressive
-
had been slurpingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of slurp
First recorded in 1640–50, slurp is from the Dutch word slurpen (v.)
Explanation
If you suck your food noisily into your mouth, you slurp it. In Japan, it's considered good manners to slurp your noodles. Don't try that in England! There are some foods and drinks that you'll almost inevitably slurp, like hot soup and thick, cold milkshakes. Although fastidious eaters in the US might consider it bad form to slurp the foam off your cappuccino or slurp up the last few ramen noodles from your bowl, in some cultures it shows appreciation for your food. Slurp comes from the imitative Dutch word slurpen.
Vocabulary lists containing slurp
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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.
See Examples For:
You can slurp your way along the Damariscotta at any time of year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
The waiter explained how to eat them — pinch the top, slurp carefully — which is perfect for first-timers.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2025
Culex mosquitoes typically target birds rather than humans, and tend to be satisfied with one slurp of blood, making them comparatively less annoying than Aedes mosquitoes.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2025
The King pulled his pint before Mr Mills asked him if he was "going to have a slurp of that".
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2025
Mom was pouring coffee into his mouth as fast as he could slurp it down.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
North of Zengamina another bitcoin mine slurps up excess energy from a hydro-electric plant run by Virunga National Park in the Congo.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2025
Plants are green because such wavelengths of light help it keep a consistent vacuum on the electromagnetic energy it slurps from the sun.
From Salon ● Nov. 16, 2024
Steven, what did you have in mind when you wrote that French cafe scene where Von Rumpel slurps oysters while tormenting the poor waiter?
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2023
Seated on plastic chairs next to a street food stand tucked in an alleyway, the 47-year-old Haitian slurps orange-colored soup out of a metal bowl next to his 9-year-old son.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2023
Charlie slurps the milk like it’s the best thing ever, and that makes me smile.
From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist
Entire cities have looked on with awe as foreign fans have swooped in and slurped up the supply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Soup Drops “will have soup fans feeling like they just slurped a spoonful of Progresso’s iconic Chicken Noodle Soup that they know and love,” the brand explained.
From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2025
The two expressed that they were impressed, as they slurped from tasting cups with excitement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2024
Latex floating on the top of the remaining liquid is slurped up with a pipette and rinsed up to three times for purification, and then dried.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 23, 2024
I caught up with him at the base of Listening Rock, where he slurped his sloppy tongue all over my face in a frenzied Hurry up!, his breath smelling like lima beans.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
By sniffing beans and slurping coffee, these elite graders help keep the commodities market running: Their ratings help set U.S. futures-market prices for arabica.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
He stays gruff, of course, but you sense that Ray is as manacled by his authoritarian role as Colin literally is in his hungry, slurping devotion to his master.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026
"He was literally slurping unclean pond water to stay hydrated," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2025
While slurping, the insect excretes a substance that weakens the tree's defenses and causes damage that impedes the flow of nutrients between root and crown, he said.
From Science Daily ● May 14, 2024
"Yeah, but you know I can smell Jazz's cooking through the wall," Noodles said, slurping and making the face that got him that nickname.
From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
