suck
gb/sˈʌk/ us/sˈʌk/
A2
English
~ 3400
szív, szopik, szar, pocsék, szívás, szopogat, felszív, kiszív, hirtelen beszívja a levegőt, felszisszen
VERB
A2
1
Usage pattern:
to suck [liquid/air] [from something]
She sucked the juice through a straw.
Szívószálon keresztül szívta a gyümölcslevet.
He sucked in a deep breath before diving.
Merülés előtt mély levegőt szívott be.
The baby sucked milk from the bottle.
The snorkeler accidentally sucked in some water.
I sucked the soup from the spoon.
Learner examples
The baby sucks milk from the bottle.
A baba tejet szopik a cumisüvegből.
I suck juice with a straw.
Szívószállal szívom a gyümölcslevet.
He sucked in air before he swam.
She sucks water from the cup.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'suck' with 'lick'; 'lick' means touching something with the tongue, not pulling liquid into the mouth.
Meaning
Draw liquid or air into mouth
Collocations
suck water
|suck air
|suck juice
|suck through a straw
Synonyms
sip (Implies taking in small amounts, often gently and slowly.)
Antonyms
blow (Pushes air out of the mouth rather than pulling it in.)
Themes
daily life
|body
|food
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To pull liquid or air into your mouth by using your lips and tongue.
To pull liquid, air, or another substance into the mouth by creating a vacuum with the lips and tongue.
VERB
B1
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
[something] sucks
This movie sucks—let's watch something else.
Ez a film szar – nézzünk valami mást.
It sucks that you missed the concert.
Szar, hogy lemaradtál a koncertről.
My phone battery life really sucks.
Waiting in line for hours sucks.
Rain on my day off totally sucks.
Learner examples
This game sucks.
Ez a játék szar.
It sucks to be late.
Késni szívás.
The food here sucks.
Rain on my trip sucks.
Common mistake:
Some learners mistakenly think this sense is polite; it is informal and can sound rude in formal situations.
Meaning
Be very bad or unpleasant
Collocations
really sucks
|totally sucks
|sucks for you
Synonyms
stink (Informal; suggests being unpleasant or of poor quality, similar tone.)
Antonyms
rock (Informal slang meaning to be excellent or impressive.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Definition
To be very bad or not enjoyable.
To be of very poor quality, unpleasant, or disappointing.
VERB
A2
3
szopogat
B1
Usage pattern:
to suck [candy/lozenge]
He sucked on a mint to freshen his breath.
Egy mentolos cukorkát szopogatott, hogy frissebb legyen a lehelete.
She sucked the ice cube until it melted.
Addig szopogatta a jégkockát, amíg el nem olvadt.
The child sucked a lollipop happily.
I sucked on a lemon slice and made a face.
He sucked on a cough drop for his sore throat.
Learner examples
I suck candy after dinner.
Vacsora után cukorkát szopogatok.
She sucked a sweet slowly.
Lassan szopogatott egy cukorkát.
He sucks a mint in class.
I suck on ice when I am hot.
Meaning
Hold in mouth and draw flavor
Collocations
suck a sweet
|suck a lozenge
|suck on candy
Synonyms
savor (Focuses more on enjoying the flavor than the physical action of drawing it out.)
Themes
food
|health
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
To keep something in your mouth and take its taste or liquid without biting it.
To keep something in the mouth and draw out its flavor or liquid without chewing it.
VERB
B1
4
Usage pattern:
to suck [something] [toward/into something]
The vacuum cleaner sucked up all the crumbs.
A porszívó felszívta az összes morzsát.
The pump sucked water from the tank.
A szivattyú vizet szívott ki a tartályból.
The whirlpool sucked the leaves into its center.
He sucked the spider into a jar using a tube.
The filter sucks dirt from the pool.
Learner examples
The vacuum sucks up dirt.
A porszívó felszívja a piszkot.
The pump sucks water from the river.
A szivattyú vizet szív ki a folyóból.
The machine sucks air inside.
The fan sucks smoke out.
Meaning
Pull toward with suction force
Collocations
suck up dust
|suck insects into trap
Synonyms
vacuum (Refers specifically to cleaning with a vacuum device, but similar physical principle.)
Themes
physics
|daily life
|science
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To pull something toward you by using suction.
To cause something to move toward oneself by means of suction.
VERB
B2
5
Usage pattern:
to suck in [a breath]
She sucked in her breath when she saw the bill.
Hirtelen beszívta a levegőt, amikor meglátta a számlát.
He sucked air through his teeth at the bad news.
A rossz hír hallatán a fogai között szívta be a levegőt.
I sucked in sharply when I touched the hot pan.
They all sucked in their breath at the dramatic moment.
He sucked air noisily after running up the stairs.
Learner examples
I suck in air before I swim.
Úszás előtt nagy levegőt veszek.
She sucked her breath when she saw me.
Hirtelen beszívta a levegőt, amikor meglátott.
He sucked air after running fast.
We suck in when we are cold.
Meaning
Draw in breath quickly
Collocations
suck in breath
Synonyms
gasp (Implies a sudden intake of breath, often stronger emotional reaction.)
Themes
emotions
|body
|communication
Definition
To quickly breathe in through your mouth or nose, usually because you are surprised or hurt.
To quickly take air into the lungs through the mouth or nose, often making a sound, typically as a reaction to surprise, shock, or pain.
Grammar
Dictionary form
suck
IPA
GB/sˈʌk/
US/sˈʌk/
Syllables & stress
suck (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (suck)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: suck
- 3rd Person Singular: sucks
- Present Participle: sucking
- Past: sucked
Word family
Forms
sucks
verb
sucking
verb
sucked
verb
Core family
sucker
noun
suction
noun
Related words
suckle
verb
Expressions
suck it and see
1/sˈʌk ˈɪt ˈænd sˈi/
idiom
informal
Try something to see result
To try something and see what happens before deciding if it is good or bad.
Examples
- We don't know if it'll work—let's just suck it and see.
- It's an experiment; we'll have to suck it and see.
suck it up
1/sˈʌk ˈɪt ˈʌp/
idiom
informal
Accept unpleasant thing silently
To accept something bad or difficult without complaining about it.
Examples
- I know you're tired, but you'll have to suck it up and finish the work.
- Sometimes you just have to suck it up and deal with it.
suck someone in
1/sˈʌk sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
informal
Draw someone into situation unexpectedly
To make someone become involved in something without them planning to be.
Examples
- I got sucked into helping with the event even though I was busy.
- Don't let them suck you in; it's not worth your time.
suck up
1/sˈʌk ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Remove by suction force
To remove something by pulling it toward you using suction, like with a vacuum cleaner.
Examples
- The machine sucks up dust from carpets easily.
- This pump can suck up water quickly.
suck up to someone
1/sˈʌk ˈʌp tə sˈʌmwˌʌn/
phrasal verb
informal
Flatter to gain favor
To be very nice to someone because you want them to like you or give you something you want.
Examples
- He's always sucking up to the boss to get promoted.
- Stop sucking up to her; it's embarrassing.