Synonyms of drinking

drinking

verb

present participle of drink

1

as in sipping

to swallow in liquid form

the doctor wants her to drink lots of water before the examination

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sipping
• gulping
• licking
• quaffing
• imbibing
• supping
• swigging
• sucking
• slurping
• swilling
• guzzling
• pounding (down)
• tossing (down or off)
• hoisting
• belting (down)
• consuming
• slugging (down)
• knocking back
• tippling
• downing
• lapping
• toasting
• mouthing (down)
• wining
• killing
• putting away
• ingurgitating
• pledging
• nipping

2

as in boozing

to partake excessively of alcoholic beverages

we're worried that she's started drinking again

Synonyms & Similar Words

• boozing
• reveling
• tippling
• guzzling
• soaking
• carousing
• bibbing
• hitting the bottle
• imbibing
• boozing it up
• lushing (up)
• liquoring (up)
• nipping

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abstaining

3

as in absorbing

to take in (something liquid) through small openings

the hot surface of the porous rock drank water like a sponge

Synonyms & Similar Words

• absorbing
• sipping
• swallowing
• imbibing
• soaking (up)
• sponging
• taking up
• sucking (up)
• gulping
• quaffing
• swigging
• slurping
• swilling
• guzzling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of drinking

If the bladder is already full and there’s nowhere to go, drinking even more fluid is only going to make the problem worse. — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026

By contrast, another participant recalled disagreeing with a friend who believed drinking soda and eating fast food was harmless, a belief the participant considered factually wrong. — Andras Molnar, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026

The Oscar-winning actor stopped drinking and joined Alcoholics Anonymous following his messy 2016 split from Jolie. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Aug. 2026

However, the version of Greg that came clean to Denise about being fired, stopped drinking, and stepped up for his family now resides in the belly of a dinosaur. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026

The phrase drinking the Kool-Aid, a metaphor for unquestioningly holding a belief, was inspired by the fatal cocktail administered at Jonestown. — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026

Everybody Loves Raymond actress Patricia Heaton has opened up about the concerning moment that made her stop drinking nearly 10 years ago. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026

As Ryan prepared to return to the United States, he and three members of the press were shot and killed, prompting Jones to enact a mass suicide plan involving drinking a fruit drink laced with poison and sedatives. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

There was late-night noise, people drinking or lingering on the front steps of the residential building, and bar patrons blocking access to the apartment parking entrance and loitering around the nearby DASH bus stop. — Isaac Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026