sip

sip — verb

1. to raise a drink to your lips and take a small amount of it into your mouth, usu

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to raise a drink to your lips and take a small amount of it into your mouth, usually doing this slowly and for enjoyment

Example

Bao sat on the balcony, sipping his coffee while watching the sunrise.

transitive: sip + coffee / tea / wine

Rachid paused his work to sip at the hot tea his grandmother made.

intransitive: sip at [drink] — smaller, more hesitant sips

Common collocations
  • sip coffee
  • sip tea
  • sip wine
  • sip slowly
  • sip at something
Synonyms
  • drink

    the general, neutral term; sip is more specific about speed and amount

  • nurse

    to drink very slowly over an extended period, often to make a drink last longer

Antonyms
  • gulp

    to swallow quickly in large amounts, the opposite of drinking slowly

  • guzzle

    informal; to drink greedily and quickly

Grammar Patterns

sip + noun (a drink)

sip + at + noun (a drink)

Usage Note

The transitive form (sip coffee) is more common. The intransitive + 'at' form (sip at the soup) suggests very small, cautious, or hesitant sips — often used when the drink is too hot, too strong, or not fully enjoyed.

Common Mistakes

He sipped the hot soup quickly because he was in a hurry.
He sipped the hot soup carefully to avoid burning his tongue.
sipping always implies slow, small amounts, never hurried consumption.

sip — noun

Word family

  • sipped
    verbB1
  • sipping
    verbB1
  • sipper
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Sip, drink, gulp, and swig all describe taking liquid into the mouth, but they differ in speed, amount, and formality. Drink is the broadest, neutral term — you can drink anything in any manner. Sip is deliberately slow and small, often for enjoyment or caution: you sip hot tea, fine wine, or soup that is too hot to gulp. Gulp means to swallow a large amount quickly, usually because you are very thirsty or short on time. Swig is an informal word for a big, fast drink, typically straight from a bottle or can. For example: "Rachid sipped his tea while reading." "After the run, Layla gulped down a whole bottle of water." "Joshua took a swig of beer from the can." Choosing the right word tells your reader not just what someone drank, but how — and how they felt while doing it.

drink ↗gulpswig

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'sip' comes from Middle English 'sippen', which probably developed from an older Germanic root related to 'sūpan' (to take liquid into the mouth). The same ancient root also gave English 'sup' (to eat the evening meal with soup or broth) and 'sop' (to dip bread into liquid). For centuries, 'sip' has kept the same core idea: a gentle, small intake of a drink.