wassail 1 of 2

noun

ˈwä-səl How to pronounce wassail (audio)
Definition of wassailnext
as in drunk
a bout of prolonged or excessive drinking woke up with a terrible headache from a wild wassail the night before

Synonyms & Similar Words

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wassail

2 of 2

verb

as in to drink
to take part in drunken revelry the knights feasted and wassailed for three days after the battlefield victory

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 wassail
Noun
Enjoy Harvest Cider, special wassail cocktails, live music, costume contest and the Blessing of the Trees. — Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2024 One of the most traditional holiday drinks of them all, wintertime wassail gets a contemporary update in this flavorful drink recipe. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2023 Each glass of this nonalcoholic wassail is garnished with an apple slice and cinnamon stick. — Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
Verb
Some speculate that wassailing predates Christianity in the region; others note its association with the Christian holiday of Twelfth Night. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 24 Dec. 2025 Image Image In the village of Midsomer Norton, about 50 miles away, 100 people or so turned out for a community event to wassail three small apple trees in the local park. — Stephen Castle, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025 Reisinger's Apple Country, located in Watkins Glen on Seneca Lake, also has a wassailing event on the horizon. — Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Jan. 2018 There was toasting and wassailing all around And cinnamon sticks in yule logs were wrapped and bound. — Marc Bona, cleveland.com, 26 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wassail
  1. drunk
  2. drink
  3. spree
  4. binge
  5. carouse
Noun
  • Advertisement Amid efforts by both campaigns to push policy ideas like tax cuts and education reform, the ad war has boiled down to attacks portraying Ramaswamy as a conman and Acton as a drunk.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The drunk-and-disorderly charge is linked to a December incident, in which Minton is accused of shouting and cursing at patrons of a tattoo studio in Hickory, court records show.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of drunk
Verb
  • Food and drink The restaurant and bars (there are two) are the main draws here and will no doubt draw locals like me in addition to out-of-towners.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • There’s no shortage of detailed guides telling visitors to Paris where exactly to eat and drink.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of drink
Noun
  • That reticence ended after the tree-cutting spree earlier this month.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • And Criss was concerned that unchecked growth of the program, coupled with a spree of tax cuts, could put the state budget into a tailspin.
    — Henry Culvyhouse, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of spree
Verb
  • The fantasy of perfectly solitary convenience—DoorDashing a meal for one and binging Netflix alone on the couch—has been a reliable bet in Silicon Valley.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The inviting throw is ideal for curling up under while binging Halloween movies or hunkering down on football Sundays, and adds a fun fall feel to your space that can easily transition into winter decorating.
    — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of binge
Verb
  • There are certainly fans and pundits who feel that anything short of a title shouldn’t be celebrated in sports, and some who think carousing over anything less is especially beneath the Yankees, who have won 27 World Series but zero since 2009.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Three sitting rooms are complemented by a further three members’ social spaces for carousing in, concealed behind a subtle screen (here, DJs including Goldierocks make appearances, and mobile snaps are banned; staff politely place a sticker over mobile camera lenses).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
Definition of carouse

Browse Nearby Words

waspishness
wassail
wassailed
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Cite this Entry

“Wassail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wassail. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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