drinker

drinker — noun

1. someone who regularly consumes drinks that contain alcohol, especially in quanti

1.nounB1
Definition

someone who regularly consumes drinks that contain alcohol, especially in quantities that may be unhealthy

Example

Defne's grandfather was a heavy drinker who drank whisky every evening after work.

modifier: heavy drinker / light drinker / social drinker

Paloma became a problem drinker after her divorce and needed medical help.

Common collocations
  • heavy drinker
  • light drinker
  • social drinker
  • problem drinker
  • moderate drinker
Synonyms
  • alcoholic

    stronger and more clinical; implies addiction or dependence rather than mere habit

  • heavy drinker

    specifies quantity consumed, whereas 'drinker' alone is neutral on amount

  • tippler

    informal, British English; suggests frequent but small amounts of alcohol

Antonyms
  • teetotaller

    someone who never drinks alcohol at all

  • non-drinker

    neutral term for a person who does not drink alcohol

Grammar Patterns

drinker + of + [beverage]

modifier + drinker

Usage Note

Frequently paired with modifiers (heavy, light, social, problem) that indicate the amount or context of alcohol consumption.

Common Mistakes

He is a drunk who has one glass of wine at parties.
He is a drinker who has one glass of wine at parties.
'drunk' as a noun means a person who is habitually intoxicated, not just someone who drinks alcohol.

2. someone who tends to choose one particular kind of beverage as their usual drink

2.nounB1
Definition

someone who tends to choose one particular kind of beverage as their usual drink

Example

Élise is a devoted tea drinker who begins every morning with green tea.

compound: tea drinker / coffee drinker / soft drink drinker

Ritu prefers being a coffee drinker because she enjoys the bold flavour of dark roasts.

Common collocations
  • coffee drinker
  • tea drinker
  • soft drink drinker
  • beer drinker
  • wine drinker
Synonyms
  • consumer

    broader term that covers any product, not limited to beverages

  • fan

    informal; implies enthusiasm rather than regular habit

Grammar Patterns

[beverage] + drinker

Usage Note

Always combined with the name of a beverage (coffee drinker, tea drinker) or a general category (soft drink drinker). The beverage name may appear with or without a hyphen (tea drinker or tea-drinker).

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Drinker is the broadest, most neutral term: it simply means a person who drinks alcohol, with no judgement about amount or dependence. Alcoholic is a clinical term for someone with alcohol addiction, carrying a much stronger and more medical connotation than drinker. Heavy drinker specifies quantity without implying addiction — it describes a person who consumes large amounts regularly. Tippler is informal and chiefly British English, suggesting someone who drinks small amounts frequently but is not a heavy consumer. Drunkard is old-fashioned and strongly negative, labelling someone who is habitually drunk. In everyday use, drinker is the safest choice; use heavy drinker when quantity is the issue, and alcoholic only when addiction is clearly meant.

alcoholic ↗heavy drinkertipplerdrunkard

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • drinker of ...

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Drinker comes from Old English drincan, meaning 'to drink', combined with the agent suffix -er, which means 'a person who does something'. The word has been used for someone who drinks alcohol since at least the 1300s, and the pattern of attaching a beverage name before it (as in coffee drinker) became common in the 1800s.