John Barleycorn

noun

Definition of John Barleycornnext
as in alcohol
a distilled beverage that can make a person drunk she blamed John Barleycorn for the breakdown of their marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of John Barleycorn And when Traffic reconvened in 1970 to record their comeback album John Barleycorn Must Die, Mason wasn’t involved. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for John Barleycorn
  1. alcohol
  2. liquor
  3. drink
  4. booze
  5. rum
  6. spirits
Noun
  • So is controlling blood pressure, treating chronic conditions such as diabetes, avoiding smoking, limiting excessive alcohol use, getting enough sleep and maintaining a healthy weight.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • People have been advised to avoid sunlight, sweet carbonated drinks, coffee and alcohol.
    — Scott Simon, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of alcohol
Noun
  • The plan is to eventually expand the location into a neighboring space, provide more seating and potentially apply for a liquor license.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Found was selected to advance its Direct Feedstock Extraction technology, a continuous electrochemical process designed to recover gallium directly from dilute liquors.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of liquor
Noun
  • The family-friendly pool is fantastic, with drinks and bites for those who want to camp out there all day, and there’s plenty to explore, from the chef’s garden to the American Poet’s Maze on-site.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Refreshments will include traditional Mexican food, including tamales and a corn and chocolate drink.
    — Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of drink
Noun
  • These kids have their run of the island, and there’s ample sun and boats, booze and pot, old friends and new ones at the ready whenever Annie’s journey of self-discovery gets too heavy.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Though booze and energy drinks are often consumed together, Verster argued that beverages like Red Bull aren’t to blame for bad things that happen when people get drunk.
    — Ashley Okwuosa, STAT, 30 July 2026
Definition of booze
Noun
  • Lisa Frank hair clips; the So Kitschy, made with vodka, rum and apricot and matched with a scrunchie set; and the Rooftop Daydream, a smoky-sweet mezcal cocktail with watermelon and basil, paired with a body wash bar.
    — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026
  • When prolonging the time around the table, a gin and tonic is typically the digestive drink of choice, although rum and coke would come in a close second.
    — Marti Buckley, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of rum
Noun
  • The three will open Terruño Ancestral Spirits in the LoDo space later this month, showcasing spirits from their native Mexico along with traditional dishes beyond the Tex-Mex style that has become commonplace in the states.
    — Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike many other spirits, gin allows each botanical to play a defining role in the final profile.
    — Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of spirits

Browse Nearby Words

john
John Barleycorn
John Barleycorns
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“John Barleycorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/John%20Barleycorn. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All