drink
gb/dɹˈɪŋk/ us/dɹˈɪŋk/
A1
English
~ 1500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
action
1
Swallow liquid
To put liquid in your mouth and make it go down into your body.
Usage pattern:
to drink [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'drink' with 'eat' when talking about liquids.
Synonyms
sip (Implies drinking slowly or in small amounts.)
|
gulp (Implies drinking quickly or in large amounts.)
Antonyms
spit (The opposite action of swallowing liquid, by forcing it out of the mouth.)
Collocations
drink water
|drink coffee
|drink alcohol
|drink tea
|drink juice
Themes
daily life
|food and drink
|core_vocabulary
|body
Examples
- I usually drink two cups of coffee in the morning.
- She drank the water quickly after her run.
- It's important to drink enough fluids during the day.
- He drank from the glass without looking up.
Learner examples
- I drink water every day.
- She drinks milk in the morning.
- We drink tea after dinner.
- He drinks juice at lunch.
Noun
A1
entity
2
Liquid for drinking
A liquid that people can drink.
Usage pattern:
a drink of [something]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'drink' (noun) with 'beverage' and may overuse one in all contexts.
Synonyms
beverage (More formal; often used in menus or official contexts.)
Antonyms
food (Solid nourishment, as opposed to liquid.)
Collocations
cold drink
|hot drink
|soft drink
|alcoholic drink
Themes
daily life
|food and drink
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Can I get you a drink?
- She ordered a cold drink from the bar.
- We had some snacks and drinks at the party.
- Would you like a hot or cold drink?
Learner examples
- I want a cold drink.
- This is my favorite drink.
- He has a hot drink every morning.
- We bought drinks for the trip.
Verb
A2
action
3
Consume alcohol
To have alcohol, like beer or wine.
Usage pattern:
to drink [alcohol/beer/wine]
Common mistake:
Learners may forget this sense refers specifically to alcohol in some contexts, leading to misunderstandings.
Synonyms
imbibe (Formal or humorous term for consuming alcohol.)
Antonyms
abstain (To choose not to consume alcohol.)
Collocations
drink beer
|drink wine
|drink heavily
Themes
daily life
|social life
|food_drink
|daily_life
|health
Examples
- He doesn't drink anymore since last year.
- They drank wine with dinner.
- She drinks socially on weekends.
Learner examples
- I do not drink beer.
- He drinks wine with dinner.
- She drinks only on holidays.
Noun
A2
entity
4
Alcoholic beverage or session
Alcohol, or time when people have alcohol together.
Usage pattern:
go for a drink
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'drink' here with any beverage, not realizing it implies alcohol in informal English.
Synonyms
tipple (Informal term for an alcoholic drink, less common.)
Antonyms
soft drink (A non-alcoholic beverage, usually sweetened.)
Collocations
have a drink
|go for drinks
Themes
social life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- We went out for a few drinks after work.
- Do you want to grab a drink later?
- He bought me a drink at the bar.
Learner examples
- We go for a drink after work.
- She had two drinks at the party.
- They met for a drink at the pub.
Noun
literary
C1
entity
5
Large body of water (figurative)
(Literary) The sea or ocean.
Synonyms
sea (Literal meaning; 'drink' is figurative here.)
Antonyms
land (The opposite of a large body of water.)
Collocations
into the drink
Themes
nature
Examples
- The ship disappeared into the dark drink.
- Many sailors were lost to the drink.
Learner examples
- The boat sank into the drink.
- He fell into the drink from the dock.
Grammar
Dictionary form
drink
IPA
GB/dɹˈɪŋk/
US/dɹˈɪŋk/
Syllables & stress
drink (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (drink)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: drink
- Plural: drink, drinks
Verb
- Base: drink
- 3rd Person Singular: drinks
- Present Participle: drinking
- Past: drank
- Past Participle: drunk
Word family
Forms
Core family
drinker
noun
Related words
drinkable
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
undrinkable
adjective
non-drinker
noun
Advanced or less common
drunken
adjective B2
drunkenness
noun B2
Highlights
- Irregular past: drank Verb
- Irregular past participle: drunk Verb
Expressions
drink to [someone/something]
1/dɹˈɪŋk tə sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Make a toast in honor of someone/something
To lift your glass and take a sip to show respect or celebrate someone or something.
Examples
- Let's drink to their success!
- We drank to the happy couple.
drink up
1/dɹˈɪŋk ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Finish your drink completely
To finish all the liquid in your cup or glass.
Examples
- Drink up, and let's go!
- She told the children to drink up their milk.
have a drink
1/hˈæv ə dɹˈɪŋk/
fixed phrase
Consume a beverage socially
To drink something, often with other people.
Examples
- Let's have a drink before dinner.
- We had a drink together at the cafe.
in one drink
1/ˈɪn wˈʌn dɹˈɪŋk/
fixed phrase
Drink all at once in one gulp
To finish all of a drink without stopping.
Examples
- He finished his beer in one drink.
- She downed her coffee in one drink.
on the drink
1/ˈɔn ðə dɹˈɪŋk/
fixed phrase
informal
Regularly drinking alcohol heavily
Drinking alcohol often, usually too much.
Examples
- He's been on the drink since he lost his job.
- She went back on the drink after months of sobriety.