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
  • Public health data has taught us that alcohol, which can be fine when consumed in moderation, can be harmful to individual and societal health in excessive amounts.
    — Adam Hoffer, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • In fact, the organizers have expressly banned alcohol and drugs from the event – and the attendees wouldn’t have it any other way.
    — Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of alcohol
Noun
  • The film was projected under some Christmas lights, which splayed over the liquor.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
  • In 2023, the Ukrainian government sanctioned him for allegedly continuing to engage with Russia, paying taxes to Moscow and facilitating business transactions through his liquor business in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of liquor
Noun
  • Charlotte is having drinks at the hotel bar with a couple of colleagues when Sugar confronts her.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 July 2026
  • The dessert chain has an expansive menu that includes cakes, crêpes, freshly made Belgium waffles, funnel cakes and hot and iced drinks.
    — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026
Definition of drink
Noun
  • Since March 2025, every Canadian province except for Alberta and Saskatchewan has banned the sale of American booze.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 8 July 2026
  • With information about the negative effects of alcohol dominating the headlines, gatherings that were previously based strictly around booze are dwindling.
    — Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 6 July 2026
Definition of booze
Noun
  • Below, discover five rums to try in your mojito this Saturday—and all summer long.
    — Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • There are several different rums in the lineup, including un-aged and barrel-aged versions, as well as a spiced rum that’s smoked over a peat fire to give it some of that classic Islay character.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 10 July 2026
Definition of rum
Noun
  • Camilla appeared in good spirits despite the recent royal drama surrounding Prince Harry and his visit to the United Kingdom.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • Christie’s similarly posted its best results ever for wine and spirits sales.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 8 July 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 12 Jul. 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All