suck 1 of 3

informal + sometimes impolite
as in to smell
to be objectionable or unsatisfactory it's amazing that a song that sucks so bad can be so popular

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

suck (up)

2 of 3

verb (2)

1
2
as in to soak (up)
to take in (something liquid) through small openings these lilacs sucked up all the water I added to the vase yesterday

Synonyms & Similar Words

suck-up

3 of 3

noun

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 suck
Verb
Looking to give socks that don’t suck this holiday season? Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2022 Carolyn Forté, executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Lab, created a printable checklist to make sure keeping the house neat doesn't suck up endless hours of time on weekends anymore. Zee Krstic, Good Housekeeping, 22 Nov. 2022
Noun
Back in the dawn of the Trump era — just prior to his 2017 inauguration — the line of would-be suck-ups queuing up for face time with the president-elect included a man with a distinguished name. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023 Office suck-ups, popularized by television characters like Dwight Schrute in The Office and Tom Wambsgans in Succession, typically take their cues from those in charge. Matthew Boyle, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2023 See All Example Sentences for suck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suck
Noun
  • Hitler surrounded himself with sycophants, had zero tolerance for dissent and demanded unwavering loyalty.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • Nobody advertises for sycophants, but often recruiting and interview processes can favor candidates who are agreeable and whose thinking doesn’t conflict with the status quo.
    Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • Such as holding court, choosing your sobriquet, and naming imbecilic lickspittles to our Kingsguard.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 7 July 2024
  • What happened to the idea that art and culture should be a contemptuous refuge from the mainstream, as opposed to this lickspittle, running dog accommodation to the mainstream?
    Billboard Staff, Billboard, 3 June 2022
Noun
  • Images of toadies buttering up an emperor come to mind.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
  • Courtesy of Lucasfilm On an isolated farm at the outer reaches of a fascist empire, a mid-level government toady interrogates his victims.
    Jake Kleinman, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Donald Trump is desperate to distract his followers from a scandal of his own making, pulling out all the stops to try to get MAGA minions to talk and think about something else — anything else.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2025
  • Daigo's minions will be making an appearance in Lego Fortnite Odyssey now that the Spires are activated, so players will have to watch out for that while working on their villages.
    Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Around 4,500 Everton fans made the short trip into neighbouring Lancashire for Saturday’s match.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 21 July 2025
  • Winn said that fan encounter did not happen at Eastern Market, which is is probably good for the chickens, given the number of slaughterhouses nearby.
    M.L. Elrick, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
Noun
  • Tacoma is Seattle’s industrial flunky, the also-ran, the perennial embarrassment.
    Caroline Fraser June 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
  • Bathing in the blood of virgins is just one such regime, and god help the flunky who dares displease milady.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • The United States is dropping about 100 million sterile flies each week in southern Mexico to help slow the spread of the parasite.
    Clara Migoya, AZCentral.com, 16 July 2025
  • Colton was also prescribed a parasite treatment due to diarrhea, the warrant affidavit said.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2025
Noun
  • The wretched music alone is worth it, as is Victor Von Doom's henchman, who sounds like a little kid trying to impersonate Dracula.
    Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 25 July 2025
  • One of his henchmen does but, as is the case in many MCU movies, his identity is revealed by the end of the film.
    Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025

Cite this Entry

“Suck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suck. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on suck

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!