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imbibing

imbibing

1 6.8
Drinking liquids, for example water or alcohol
  • noun
  • /ɪmˈbaɪbɪŋ/
translation icon : bebida
  • She and Martin's father met by way of a flurry of meaningful looks traded in a discotheque on a Saturday night, looks that soon led to amateur Latin dancing and enthusiastic imbibing of provocatively named cocktails.

Examples

  • Such was my family's determination after long deliberation of the matter and after much imbibing of the pulqoo.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • - ♪ Imbibing quarts of bathtub gin ♪ - Bronchitis.

  • (Apart from some imbibing, of course.)

    Blog text (14)
  • Fact is, your p93 kind favors imbibing, which is a simple thing of nature, and these things just happen.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Our girl's imbibing?

  • No imbibing.

  • I'd like to dedicate this imbibing of intoxicating elixirs.

  • He referred, of course, to Riker's bachelor party, held the night before: the Klingon had been less than circumspect in his imbibing.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Diners are perfect for college students—old enough to require the recovery a greasy breakfast can bring after a night of studying or imbibing, yet young enough not to care about its effects on your health—and the Upper Valley is full of options.

    Blog text (17)
  • During the summer party, the friends enjoyed imbibing refreshing cocktails by the pool.

Synonyms

drinking
vsimbibing
119 1.0

To put water or other liquids into your mouth and swallow

is the simple act of taking in liquids as defined
intake
vsimbibing
56 3.0

How much food and drink a person eats or drinks

refers specifically to liquid consumption rather than food inclusion
ingestion
vsimbibing
12 4.1

Taking food or drink into the body through the mouth

is narrower, limited to taking only liquids by mouth
guzzling
vsimbibing
  • Informal
8 6.5

Drinking a large amount of liquid very quickly

is neutral about speed and manner of taking liquids
drinkin'
vsimbibing
  • Informal
4 9.6

A casual gathering where people drink alcohol

describes the act itself rather than a social occasion for it
boozing
vsimbibing
  • Slang
4 8.0

Drinking a lot of alcohol in a way that harms health

is neutral about frequency or alcohol content of liquid intake
swilling
vsimbibing
  • Informal
3 8.2

Drinking very large amounts of liquid quickly, often alcohol

is the general act without the heavy, rapid excess implied here
potation
vsimbibing
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A drink that has alcohol or the act of drinking alcohol

is broader, covering all liquids not only alcoholic ones
imbibition
vsimbibing
  • Specialized
9.9

The taking in of liquid, for example when seeds take in water

focuses only on the mouth action rather than material absorption
supping
vsimbibing
  • Literature
9.3

Drinking liquid slowly, often with a spoon or from a bowl

covers general liquid intake rather than slow utensil sipping

Antonyms

30 3.1

A period without food and drink for health or religious reasons

How Much

guzzling
  • Informal
8 6.5
to swig
  • Informal
1 6.7
imbibing
1 6.8
drinking
119 1.0
to sip
127 1.0
tasting
31 1.1

Surface Forms

imbibing singular
imbibings plural

Morphology

imbibing = imbibe (transparent) = imbibe + ing

A regular gerund/nominalization formed from the verb 'imbibe' with the productive suffix '-ing', yielding 'the act of drinking'.

Etymology

The word imbibing comes from Latin parts in- 'in' and bibere 'to drink'. So imbibing still means taking liquids 'into' your body, in other words 'drinking'.