Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🍺 To drink deeply 🍺 A deep drink
to quaff

to quaff

4 9.1
To drink a large amount quickly and with pleasure
  • verb
  • /kwɑf/
  • Archaic
translation icon : beber a grandes tragos
  • "Crazy end to the war, that was," said Cunningham as he quaffed a large martini while Barak sipped sherry, "and it's a damned good thing your Mr. Ben Gurion backed off from that light-headed victory speech of his."
  • quaffed beer
  • quaffed ale
  • quaffed champagne

I mean, just got Gavin Newsom closing the beaches and then he's, he's over at French Laundry, you know, perfectly quaffed at a fundraiser.

Examples

  • The hors d'oeuvres passed and the opening wines quaffed; it's time to sit down to dinner.

    Blog text (9)

  • Now if you'll excuse me, I have water to quaff...

    Blog text (11)

  • Quaff a cup to the dead already.

    Innocent Blood (1992)

  • Let's quaff carouses to this gentleman.

    Kiss Me Kate (1953)

  • And it was appropriate that the very first wine quaffed on the very white carpet would be very red.

    Blog text (2)

  • After quaffing many a cup of clean, icy water, I asked him if he'd ever found any artifacts of interest.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Zarfo quaffed ale and set the mug down with a thud.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • What happened was that during your absence, I took myself to the village tavern in search of companionship, and there to quaff the strong red wine that gives this region its ferocious valor.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Brian Jones had a nice feature on Billy Goode's, an iconic Newport watering hole that has been a favorite of quaffing locals since Prohibition.

    Blog text (9)

  • During the celebration, they quaffed their favorite ale with laughter and joy.

Synonyms

to gulp
vsto quaff
26 2.9

Swallow a drink quickly, often because you feel nervous or thirsty

is more about hearty drinking for enjoyment than quick noisy swallowing
to swill
vsto quaff
  • Informal
5 7.5

To drink a lot quickly, usually alcoholic drinks

is taken heartily and for enjoyment rather than greedily or rushed
to swig
vsto quaff
  • Informal
1 6.7

To drink a large amount quickly in one swallow

is done as a hearty unhurried act of drinking for pleasure
to swill down
vsto quaff
  • Informal
8.0

To drink a lot very quickly, often alcohol

is consumed heartily for pleasure rather than mainly in haste
to toss off
vsto quaff
  • Informal
8.4

To drink a whole glass quickly, often of alcohol

is typically a hearty slower consumption enjoyed rather than rushed

How Hearty

to guzzle
  • Informal
16 5.8
to quaff
  • Archaic
4 9.1
to gulp
26 2.9
to drink
∞ 1.0
to sip
127 1.0

Surface Forms

quaff infinitive
quaffed past
quaffed past participle
quaffing present participle
quaffs third person singular

Etymology

Quaff makes you imagine the loud, satisfying 'gulp' of a big drink. A helpful way to remember it is that the sound fits the action, so quaff means 'to drink heartily'.