What does drink mean?
Drink is one of the most fundamental verbs in English, describing the act of taking liquid into the mouth and swallowing it — whether water, coffee, juice, or anything else. It also serves as a noun, naming both a beverage itself ("a cold drink") and the act or occasion of consuming one, particularly where alcohol is involved: "let's go out for a drink." Used without a direct object, the verb often implies drinking alcohol, which can carry either neutral or disapproving connotations depending on context. The verb is irregular, following the pattern drink–drank–drunk, a sequence so familiar that its forms appear in countless idioms and wordplay. Derived words include drinker, drinkable, and drinking. Beyond its literal sense, drink can describe absorption, as when dry earth drinks up the rain, showing how physical acts extend naturally into figurative language.
To take liquid into the mouth and swallow it; also, to consume alcohol.
"He drank the entire glass of orange juice in one go."
Irregular conjugation: drink–drank–drunk. Without an object, often implies drinking alcohol.
A liquid that is or can be swallowed; a beverage, or an act of drinking, especially of alcohol.
"Would you like a hot drink before we set off?"
The plural is used both for multiple servings or types of beverage ("soft drinks", "buying drinks for everyone") and for occasions of drinking ("we had a few drinks after work").
"The bar offers a wide selection of cocktails and other mixed drinks."
"Drink" comes from the same ancient Germanic root as the word "drown" — literally, to be submerged in liquid.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of drink
Drink descends from Old English drincan, from Proto-Germanic *drekan-, making it a native Germanic word rather than a Latin or French borrowing. Its cognates include German trinken, Dutch drinken, Swedish dricka, and Danish drikke, all from the same root. The same ancient root gave rise to Old English drencan, meaning to give someone something to drink or to drench, which survives in modern English "drench," and possibly relates to "drown." The noun form developed alongside the verb from Old English drinc.
Related word forms
How drink is actually used
The verb is irregular: drink–drank–drunk. In informal usage, "drunk" is sometimes heard as a simple past tense ("he drunk it all"), but this is widely considered nonstandard in careful writing. When referring to alcohol consumption, "to drink" without an object carries a potentially negative connotation suggesting habitual or excessive drinking.
Easily confused with drink
"Drank" is the simple past tense of drink ("she drank the tea"), while "drink" is the present tense or base form; "drunk," not "drank," is the past participle.