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Glite Dictionary
to pour one out

to pour one out

1 9.0
To spill a small amount of drink on the ground to honour someone who has died
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : dedicar un trago
  • In honor of their late grandfather, the family chose to pour one out during the family reunion.

Examples

  • At the memorial service, friends gathered to pour one out for their beloved friend who passed away.

  • Oh, they, they had they, you know, they're pour one out for him, man.

  • Before the game, they decided to pour one out in memory of their teammate who had died tragically.

Synonyms

to drink
vsto pour one out
161 6.3

To raise a glass and say good wishes to someone

is used mainly to honor someone who died by spilling a small amount in memory
to pour a libation
vsto pour one out
  • Formal
9.9

To pour a drink on the ground or an altar to honor gods and dead people

is a personal tribute to someone who has died rather than a religious rite

Antonyms

to forget
∞ 1.0

Not remember something you should remember

neglect
100 3.5

Not caring for someone or something that needs care

Surface Forms

pour one out infinitive
poured one out past
poured one out past participle
pouring one out present participle
pours one out third person singular

Morphology

pour + one + out

The literal meaning 'to pour a drink out' is directly derivable from 'pour' + 'one' + 'out', so learners will grasp the physical action. However, the conventionalized, commemorative sense (honoring someone who has died) requires cultural/pragmatic knowledge and is not fully predictable from the parts alone, making it partially transparent rather than fully compositional.

Etymology

Pour one out comes from the image of pouring a small amount of drink out onto the ground as an offering to someone who has died. So, to pour one out today means 'to honor the memory' of a person who has passed.