as in drunk
a bout of prolonged or excessive drinking
woke up with a terrible headache from a wild wassail the night before
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Recent Examples of wassail
Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 17 Dec. 2025
Since 2022, cider sommelier Dan Pucci and Madeleine Osborn have hosted their idiosyncratic take on an English wassail celebration, the ancient tradition of visiting apple orchards in the wintertime to fête the trees and promote a prosperous harvest in the year to come.
—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appétit, 26 Nov. 2024
The French enjoy their vin chaud, the British their wassail.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2024
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
One variation involves people traveling door-to-door singing traditional songs and spreading good wishes while carrying a bowl of wassail.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
Reception from 5-8 p.m. (360 K St.; see Facebook event) Anchorage Distillery — Paintings and prints by Laura Dewey with a limited special edition cocktail menu, including whiskey wassail.
—Anchorage Daily News, 4 Nov. 2021
Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 24 Dec. 2025
In addition to the live music in Caldwell Hall, there's also an opportunity to join an English tradition: wassailing around the apple tree, a ritual to inspire a bountiful harvest in the year ahead.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 19 Nov. 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
This drink was often used as part of wassailing in England.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
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
Noun
Roast pork, chicken or Cornish game hen were common as the main course, served with hearty breads, roasted vegetables, salad, dessert and plenty of wassail to drink.
—Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 17 Dec. 2025
Since 2022, cider sommelier Dan Pucci and Madeleine Osborn have hosted their idiosyncratic take on an English wassail celebration, the ancient tradition of visiting apple orchards in the wintertime to fête the trees and promote a prosperous harvest in the year to come.
—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appétit, 26 Nov. 2024
The French enjoy their vin chaud, the British their wassail.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2024
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
One variation involves people traveling door-to-door singing traditional songs and spreading good wishes while carrying a bowl of wassail.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
Reception from 5-8 p.m. (360 K St.; see Facebook event) Anchorage Distillery — Paintings and prints by Laura Dewey with a limited special edition cocktail menu, including whiskey wassail.
—Anchorage Daily News, 4 Nov. 2021
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
In addition to the live music in Caldwell Hall, there's also an opportunity to join an English tradition: wassailing around the apple tree, a ritual to inspire a bountiful harvest in the year ahead.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 19 Nov. 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
This drink was often used as part of wassailing in England.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
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
Noun
-
First off, the guy on the sidewalk outside the liquor store was a drunk, not an oracle.—
David Sedaris,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
-
His new assistant, Yancey, was a drunk.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Food and drink Adjacent to the lobby is Zaytinya, a Mediterranean restaurant by José Andrés.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
During the pandemic, Shvo snapped up the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach, and the Coca-Cola building at 711 Fifth Avenue, a $3 billion spree made possible with the backing of German pension fund BVK, the country’s largest public pension group.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Desperate, the brothers resort to going on a bank-robbing spree, which becomes a game of cat and mouse as they are tracked by a pair of Texas rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham).—
Sezin Devi Keohler,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At a moment’s notice, those willing to subscribe to a streaming service can binge Mad Men, The Wire, Band of Brothers, and other classics of TV’s golden age.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Paramount+ has historically seen higher churn but UFC fans should make for stickier subscribers—traditional sports leagues have off-seasons and TV shows can be quickly binged, but the UFC’s programming is ongoing.—
Andrew Root,
Sportico.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But that doesn’t add much beyond three crusty Báthory ancestors carousing drunkenly in their coffins.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
-
When Hedda and Eileen were wild together, Eileen’s drinking and carousing was a problem, but she’s put all that wickedness behind her, mostly thanks to the love of Thea Clifton (a delicate Imogen Poots), who has also just arrived at the mansion for the world’s worst party.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wassail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wassail. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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