suck

[ suhk ]

/ sʌk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR suck ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to draw into the mouth by producing a partial vacuum by action of the lips and tongue: to suck lemonade through a straw.

to draw (water, moisture, air, etc.) by or as if by suction: Plants suck moisture from the earth. The pump sucked water from the basement.

to apply the lips or mouth to and draw upon by producing a partial vacuum, especially for extracting fluid contents: to suck an orange.

to put into the mouth and draw upon: to suck one's thumb.

to take into the mouth and dissolve by the action of the tongue, saliva, etc.: to suck a piece of candy.

to render or bring to a specified condition by or as if by sucking.

verb (used without object)

to draw something in by producing a partial vacuum in the mouth, especially to draw milk from the breast.

to draw or be drawn by or as if by suction.

(of a pump) to draw air instead of water, as when the water is low or a valve is defective.

Slang. to behave in a fawning manner (usually followed by around).

Slang. to be repellent or unpleasant: Poverty sucks.

Slang. to be inferior, as in quality or execution; be poor: Everyone says the show sucks. She sucks at tennis.

noun

an act or instance of sucking.

a sucking force.

the sound produced by sucking.

that which is sucked; nourishment drawn from the breast.

a small drink; sip.

a whirlpool.

Verb Phrases

suck in, Slang. to deceive; cheat; defraud: The confidence man sucked us all in.

suck off, Slang: Vulgar. to fellate.

suck up, Slang. to be obsequious; toady: The workers are all sucking up to him because he's the one who decides who'll get the bonuses.

Nearby words

such as, such as it is, suchlike, suchness, suchou, suck, suck in, suck off, suck up to, sucker, sucker bait

Idioms

suck face, to engage in soul-kissing.

Origin of suck

before 900; (v.) Middle English souken, Old English sūcan, cognate with Latin sūgere; (noun) Middle English souke act of suckling, derivative of the noun; akin to soak

Related forms

suck·less, adjectiveout·suck, verb (used with object)un·sucked, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for suck

I started a blog called Boo Cancer, You Suck as a safe place for me to process what I was going through.
Blogger Shares and Shames Cancer in ‘Lily’|Amy Grantham|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They want Lawrence to suck it up and smile for the camera, however retroactively.
Jennifer Lawrence Shouldn’t Laugh Off Her Nude Photo Hack|Samantha Allen|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Anyone who thinks otherwise, to employ the emotional sophistication of “Shake It Off,” can suck it.
Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ Is Disappointing|Kevin Fallon|August 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were going to suck up this problem and turn into the solution to the other problem, which was the meat shortage.
Mississippi Hippos, Teddy Bears, and Other Strange Beasts|Scott Porch|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But the declinists struggle to answer this question: If we suck so bad, how come American brands are so valuable and dominant?
Yes We Can Still Market: Why U.S. Brands Remain World’s Most Valuable|Daniel Gross|June 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A voice from behind exclaimed, "Suck your finger, you fool."
Lighter Moments from the Notebook of Bishop Walsham How|Frederick Douglas How
"I saw it dragged down the centre of the suck," with an involuntary shiver.
The Lost City|Joseph E. Badger, Jr.
If any mare happens to be unruly, her foal is brought, and allowed to suck a little, after which the milker again succeeds.
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. I|Robert Kerr
If it happens to find a bird's nest with eggs in it, it will suck them all, one after the other.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History|Theodore Wood
Karaki doled it out by moistening a shred of coconut husk and giving Pellett the shred to suck.
Where the Pavement Ends|John Russell

British Dictionary definitions for suck

suck

/ (sʌk) /

verb

to draw (a liquid or other substance) into the mouth by creating a partial vacuum in the mouth

to draw in (fluid, etc) by or as if by a similar actionplants suck moisture from the soil

to drink milk from (a mother's breast); suckle

(tr) to extract fluid content from (a solid food)to suck a lemon

(tr) to take into the mouth and moisten, dissolve, or roll around with the tongueto suck one's thumb

(tr; often foll by down, in, etc) to draw by using irresistible forcethe whirlpool sucked him down

(intr) (of a pump) to draw in air because of a low supply level or leaking valves, pipes, etc

(tr) to assimilate or acquire (knowledge, comfort, etc)

(intr) slang to be contemptible or disgusting

sucking diesel informal doing very well; successful

suck it and see informal to try something to find out what it is, what it is like, or how it works

noun

the act or an instance of sucking

something that is sucked, esp milk from the mother's breast

give suck to to give (a baby or young animal) milk from the breast or udder

an attracting or sucking forcethe suck of the whirlpool was very strong

a sound caused by sucking

See also suck in, suck off, sucks, suck up to

Derived Forms

suckless, adjective

Word Origin for suck

Old English sūcan; related to Old Norse súga, Middle Dutch sūgen, Latin sūgere to suck, exhaust; see soak

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