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
  • Kurtz also pointed to declines in cities like San Francisco, which is moving to support more sober-living options, housing that bans drugs and alcohol.
    — Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The founders saw an opportunity to create a product that could be enjoyed with or without alcohol, so no one at the gathering had to feel left out.
    — Julia Fields FOX News may be compensated for, or earn a commission if you buy through, our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of alcohol
Noun
  • Meanwhile, hospital shares rose on the possibility that funding for several government programs could be restored or boosted, while liquor companies and others buffeted by tariffs rose on hopes for relief.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Passengers spent Monday night emptying their liquor cabinets at a ship-wide party.
    — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of liquor
Noun
  • A week prior to her death, Rogers had been picked up by police in the middle of the night after leaving her home without her parents’ knowledge and stealing a drink from a gas station.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
  • This multifunctional workhorse pulls double duty as a grill for outdoor dining and can even serve as a cooler for drinks when the flame’s out.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of drink
Noun
  • Searching for the perfect shirt, Summerville found various rayon numbers from the ’50s through the ’70s printed with images of bottles of booze.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
  • At the time, several residents said lifting the booze ban could be beneficial for local businesses.
    — New Jersey, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of booze
Noun
  • The Davie gastropub has shorter hours and a reopening menu identical to its old version, with burgers, salads, prime-rib sandwiches and baby back ribs coated in passionfruit rum barbecue sauce.
    — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Developed with perfumer Angéline Leporini, the gourmand scent opens with notes of dates, roasted hazelnut and rum, before blending honeyed jasmine and amber in its core and closing with a mix of vanilla and incense.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of rum
Noun
  • Vallow Daybell holds doomsday religious beliefs and has claimed that people in her life were possessed by evil spirits.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • This can be especially uncomfortable when the prevailing narrative holds its own special significance, but pondering such complexities strengthens our minds and our spirits.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 2 Nov. 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 13 Nov. 2026.

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