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
  • State police have arrested a man in connection with a fatal head-on crash in Middlefield last August after investigators found that his blood alcohol content was allegedly more than twice the legal limit.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Younger generations drink less alcohol in general and are less likely to choose wine.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of alcohol
Noun
  • The combination of the World Cup, Sail Boston, and Boston 250 events saw an economic boom fueled by liquor sales, tall ships, and Scots covering statues with road cones.
    — Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • And, of course, for those of us who like their soda spiked, look for liquor notes like the bourbon in Armaf Odyssey Soda Pop EDP or rum in Borntostandout Cola Addict EDP.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of liquor
Noun
  • Modern Druidic offerings often take the form of (usually vegetarian) food and drink, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • In the offer, consumers get an entrée, chips and salsa and a non-alcoholic drink.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of drink
Noun
  • In response, the town shifted its marketing to late-night booze-ups and wedding parties (known, in British parlance, as stag dos and hen dos), and subsequently grew a reputation as a sandcastle Sodom.
    — George Francis Lee, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Wallace and his partners would simply walk in the stores, grab bottles of booze and walk out without paying, BSO spokeswoman Claudinne Caro said.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of booze
Noun
  • And, of course, for those of us who like their soda spiked, look for liquor notes like the bourbon in Armaf Odyssey Soda Pop EDP or rum in Borntostandout Cola Addict EDP.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 13 Aug. 2026
  • It’s made with Santa Teresa 1796, a smooth Venezuelan rum, and layered with mamey, pineapple and herbal flavors.
    — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of rum
Noun
  • Today, the brown spirits landscape in this country has changed dramatically, and there is no longer a single state that does not have at least one whiskey producer.
    — Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But the growth of non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits has made zebra striping far more sustainable.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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