drink

drink — noun

1. a liquid that people take into the mouth and swallow, such as water, milk, tea,

1.nounA1
Definition

a liquid that people take into the mouth and swallow, such as water, milk, tea, or juice, usually because they are thirsty or during a meal

Example

Obi poured himself a cold drink of lemonade after mowing the lawn.

countable: a drink = a glass/cup of liquid

The flight attendant asked whether we wanted a hot drink or a cold one.

collocation: hot drink / cold drink

Common collocations
  • hot drink
  • cold drink
  • fizzy drink
  • soft drink
  • have a drink
  • need a drink
  • offer a drink
Synonyms
  • beverage

    more formal; used on menus, labels, and in writing

  • refreshment

    often plural; can include light food as well as drinks

Grammar Patterns

drink + is/are

a drink

some drink

Usage Note

Countable: 'a drink' = one glass/cup/serving (I ordered two drinks). Uncountable: 'drink' = liquid suitable for drinking in general (we need food and drink). Learners often confuse these and say 'a drink' when they mean the general category of liquids for consumption.

Common Mistakes

I don't eat any drink in the morning.
I don't drink anything in the morning.
'drink' as a noun means the liquid itself, not the act of drinking.
Could I have drink?
Could I have a drink?
When you want one serving, use the article 'a'.

2. any type of liquid with a high ethanol content, such as beer, wine, or liquor, t

2.nounA2
Definition

any type of liquid with a high ethanol content, such as beer, wine, or liquor, that people consume for enjoyment, at celebrations, or alongside meals

Example

Cyrus gave up drink entirely after the doctor found signs of liver damage.

uncountable: drink = alcoholic drinks as a category

Defne avoids drink completely because even a small amount triggers her headaches.

Common collocations
  • turn to drink
  • give up drink
  • ban drink
  • fond of drink
  • plenty of drink
Synonyms
  • alcohol

    more formal; also refers to the chemical substance, not just beverages

  • liquor

    American English; usually means strong spirits, not beer or wine

  • booze

    informal; covers all alcoholic drinks

Grammar Patterns

drink + verb (singular)

be fond of drink

turn to drink

Usage Note

In this sense 'drink' is always uncountable and refers to alcoholic beverages as a general category. It is not used for a single glass or bottle of alcohol — for that, use 'a drink' (sense 1) or name the specific beverage. Frequently appears in negative contexts ('turn to drink', 'give up drink') and in phrases about regulation ('ban drink', 'licence to serve drink').

Common Mistakes

He bought a drink for the party' (meaning general alcohol supply).
He bought some drink for the party.
When 'drink' means alcohol as a general category it is uncountable and doesn't take 'a'.

3. a social occasion, often held in the late afternoon or early evening, where a gr

3.nounB1
Definition

a social occasion, often held in the late afternoon or early evening, where a group of people gather to talk and consume drinks, especially alcoholic ones

Example

The company invited all employees to drinks after the annual meeting.

plural: drinks = a social event with drinks

Élise helped set up the drinks for the charity fundraisers in the hotel lounge.

Common collocations
  • drinks party
  • drinks reception
  • drinks gathering
  • farewell drinks
  • wedding drinks
  • pre-dinner drinks
Synonyms
  • cocktail party

    a specific type of drinks event where cocktails are served

  • reception

    often larger, may include food; used for weddings or official events

  • happy hour

    American English; a period when drinks are sold at lower prices in a bar

Grammar Patterns

a/the drinks

drinks + at/on [occasion]

Usage Note

Always appears in the plural form 'drinks' when referring to the event itself. The full expressions 'drinks party', 'drinks reception', or 'drinks gathering' are common. This sense is distinct from sense 2 (alcohol as a category) — here it refers to the social event, not the liquid.

Idioms

drive somebody to drink

idiom

to cause someone to become so annoyed, stressed, or unhappy that they start drinking alcohol heavily as a way to cope

The constant noise from the construction site next door was enough to drive anyone to drink.

Dealing with that difficult customer all morning nearly drove Madison to drink.

meat and drink to somebody

idiom

something that a person gets great enjoyment from and looks forward to

Arguing about politics is meat and drink to my grandfather — he loves every minute of it.

Organising complicated travel plans is meat and drink to Vikram, who works as a tour guide.

the demon drink

idiom

Alcoholic drinks, especially when seen as harmful or addictive.

After his accident, Tom decided to avoid the demon drink forever.

Maya's father warned her about the dangers of the demon drink.

drink — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words relate to taking liquid into the body, but they differ in manner and scope. 'Drink' is the general-purpose verb for consuming any liquid through the mouth. 'Sip' means to drink very slowly, taking tiny amounts — you sip hot tea or fine wine to taste it fully. 'Gulp', by contrast, means to swallow quickly and in large amounts, often because you are very thirsty or in a hurry — you gulp down a glass of water after a race. 'Swallow' is the most basic physical action: moving something from the mouth down the throat. You can swallow a pill or saliva, but you would not normally 'swallow coffee' in everyday speech unless describing a medical procedure. In practice: 'She sipped her champagne at the party' (slow, elegant); 'He gulped his water after the workout' (fast, urgent); 'The baby is learning to swallow solid food' (physical action). For ordinary liquid consumption, use 'drink'.

drink ↗sip ↗gulpswallow ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • have a drink
  • go for a drink
  • need a drink
  • something to drink
  • food and drink
  • drink driving

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'drink' comes from Old English 'drincan' (verb), which traces back to the Proto-Germanic root *drinkaną. This Germanic root is shared with German 'trinken', Dutch 'drinken', and Swedish 'dricka'. The noun form developed from the verb during the Old English period, originally meaning 'a draught of liquid'. The specific sense of 'alcoholic beverage' emerged by late Old English, and the sense of 'a social gathering with drinks' appeared in the early 1900s.