What does drank mean?
'Drank' is the simple past tense of the verb 'drink', used to describe the act of consuming a liquid at some point in the past. It is one of the most frequently used irregular verb forms in English, appearing constantly in everyday speech and writing: 'She drank tea this morning,' or 'We drank to their success.' Beyond its literal sense, 'drank' often appears with alcoholic connotations — 'he drank heavily for years' — and in the established figurative expression 'to drink in' (past: 'drank in'), meaning to absorb sights, sounds, or atmosphere with eager attention. A common point of confusion is the distinction between 'drank' and 'drunk': 'drank' serves as the simple past ('I drank'), while 'drunk' is the past participle required after auxiliary verbs ('I have drunk'), though 'have drank' is heard informally. Mastering this distinction is essential for grammatically polished English.
verbThe simple past tense of the verb 'drink': to have consumed a liquid, especially an alcoholic beverage.
- Simple past tense of drink: to have swallowed a liquid.
- Figurative use: to have absorbed or taken something in eagerly (e.g., 'she drank in the scenery').
"She drank her coffee quickly and left for work."
"He drank a glass of cold water after his run."
"They sat around the fire and drank mulled wine all evening."
In older English, 'I have drank' was perfectly acceptable — but modern grammar insists on 'I have drunk', making 'drank' one of the most commonly corrected verbs in English.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of drank
'Drank' descends from Old English 'dranc', the past tense of 'drincan', tracing back through Proto-Germanic *drinkaną. It belongs to a small Germanic word family that includes 'drench' (literally 'to cause to drink') and 'drown', which historically meant to be submerged in liquid. Cognates appear across the Germanic languages, such as Dutch 'dronk' and German 'trank'. The vowel alternation between drink/drank/drunk reflects the ablaut pattern inherited from Proto-Indo-European.
Related word forms
How drank is actually used
Standard in all registers as the past tense of 'drink'. Using 'drank' as the past participle ('have drank') is widespread informally but considered nonstandard; 'drunk' is preferred there. The figurative phrase 'drank in' meaning to absorb visually or emotionally is well established.
Easily confused with drank
'Drank' is the simple past tense ('he drank water'), while 'drunk' is the past participle ('he had drunk water') and also an adjective meaning intoxicated.