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

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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
  • All involved persons are in their 20s, according to scanner audio, and alcohol may have been involved in the incident.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 26 July 2026
  • Research by British alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware shows an increasing number are embracing low and no-alcohol drinks.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Definition of alcohol
Noun
  • Just this month, the White House threatened to impose additional tariffs on Canada, over reasons including a boycott of eight Canadian provinces on American liquor.
    — Rafael Nam, NPR, 25 July 2026
  • Members get their own liquor locker, and can bring up to three guests for free to reservations.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026
Definition of liquor
Noun
  • Research by British alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware shows an increasing number are embracing low and no-alcohol drinks.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Warm milk delivers tryptophan, an amino acid the body uses to produce serotonin and melatonin, which is why the old-school bedtime drink has stuck around.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
Definition of drink
Noun
  • That led to most Canadian provinces banning the sale of American booze as of March 2025 (only Alberta and Saskatchewan have lifted their bans).
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 July 2026
  • New York — The future for big booze might be smaller — literally.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of booze
Noun
  • Guests share pupu platters and drink rum cocktails beneath the glow of colored lamps.
    — Tracey Teo, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
  • This variant of the Original Stout was aged in bourbon barrels, then finished in rum barrels with espresso, cocoa nibs and vanilla.
    — Don Tse, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of rum
Noun
  • To be clear, there have been agave spirits that have been made with mole before.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 22 July 2026
  • To preserve the fruit, Elio Carta’s grandmother, Anna Maria Perra, placed the berries in spirits already produced by the family, laying the foundation for what became the house’s historic myrtle recipe.
    — Layne Randolph, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of spirits

Browse Nearby Words

john
John Barleycorn
John Barleycorns
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Cite this Entry

“John Barleycorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/John%20Barleycorn. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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