binge drinking

noun

: an act or pattern of excessive consumption of alcohol
The reality is, however, that college drinking, especially binge drinking—defined as five or more drinks in a sitting for men and four for women—is a serious, and sometimes fatal, problem.Maria Caliri
The contentious tax on alcopops has failed to influence teenage drinkers and done nothing to curb binge drinking, according to the first survey of underage alcohol use since the federal government introduced the excise hike.Melissa Fyfe
The Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project has developed strategies to reduce binge drinking by identifying bars that routinely over-serve customers, as well as community festivals that overemphasize drinking.Chris Hubbuch
often hyphenated when used before another noun
a binge-drinking problem
binge drink intransitive verb
binge drank; binge drank also binge drunk; binge drinking; binge drinks
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 6 U.S. adults binge drinks, with 25% doing so at least weekly. Annika Olson
binge drinker noun
plural binge drinkers
Respondents who report consuming five or more drinks on at least one occasion during the past month are considered binge drinkers and are at the highest risk for alcohol-related problems. Paula Mergenhagen

Examples of binge drinking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The holidays may be a tough time to cut back on alcohol consumption, but people should try to avoid binge drinking and to keep within guidelines of drinking in moderation (two drinks or less a day for men and one drink or less a day for women on days when alcohol is consumed). Katia Hetter, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024 High-intensity drinking is a form of binge drinking. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024 The dangers of drinking too much alcohol are well known, but until recently, much of this attention has focused on the consequences of binge drinking, where an individual consumes four or more drinks in one sitting. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024 The second issue is whether the person engages in binge drinking. Katia Hetter, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for binge drinking 

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of binge drinking was in 1949

Dictionary Entries Near binge drinking

Cite this Entry

“Binge drinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/binge%20drinking. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

binge drinking

noun
variants also binge-drinking
: an act or pattern of excessive consumption of alcohol
binge drink intransitive verb
binge drinker noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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