drip

1 of 4

verb

ˈdrip 

dripped; dripping

transitive verb

1

: to let fall in drops

a brush dripping paint

2

: to let out or seem to spill copiously

her voice dripping sarcasm

trees dripping Spanish moss

intransitive verb

1

a

: to let fall drops of moisture or liquid

wet clothes dripping onto the floor

b

: to overflow with or as if with moisture

stories dripping with pop-culture references

toast dripping with butter

2

: to fall in or as if in drops

let the excess drip off

3

: to waft or pass gently

dripper noun

drip

2 of 4

noun

plural drips

1

: a part of a cornice or other member that projects to throw off rainwater

also : an overlapping metal strip or an underneath groove for the same purpose

2

a

: a falling in drops

a constant drip of water from the leaky faucet

b

: liquid that falls, overflows, or is extruded in drops

a pan to catch drips

3

: the sound made by or as if by falling drops

heard a drip

He said to the housing man … 'The floor goes creak, the tap goes drip drip …'

—Chris Smith

4

: a device for the administration of a fluid at a slow rate especially into a vein

A drip needle is often inserted at the beginning of a stay in the ward and, as one might expect, the attachment to a drip has salient implications for the way in which the hospital stay is experienced.

—Rosemary Blake

also : a material so administered

The practice of using IVs as a means of rehydration for athletes isn't new. Healthy elites have reportedly gotten saline-only drips for recovery for at least 20 years.

—Megan Hetzel et al.

5

: a dull or unattractive person

… [Charles Dickens' character] David Copperfield, in manhood, is not an especially interesting person. ("He's such a drip," commented a friend of mine.)

—James Parker

6

African American English : a fashionable style or look

Now I just need to get her an oversized graphic tee and some slick joggers to complete her drip.

—Antonio G. Di Benedetto

Drip check. Show me what looks you're serving …

—@AscendantNomad, on X, formerly Twitter

also : something (such as fashionable clothing or jewelry) that is part of one's drip

Racks of clothing line the walls as you enter the apartment, studio and workspace of local rapper Smoke Stkz, and not because his closet wouldn't fit the entirety of his drip.

—Ryann Gordon

What was [Rihanna] thinking introducing the baby to the world, appearing casual in jeans … but actually wearing … Chanel (both the jacket and the costume-jewelry drip) …

—Zoe Guy

… humans are extending their shoe "drip" to horses who can now have trendy kicks for the first time, a company says.

—Camille Fine

drip

3 of 4

adjective

: of, relating to, or being coffee made by letting boiling water drip slowly through finely ground coffee

drip coffee

a drip pot

DRIP

4 of 4

abbreviation

dividend reinvestment plan

Synonyms

Verb

• distill
• distil
• dribble
• drop
• trickle

Noun

• bore
• drag
• droner
• dullsville
• nudnik
• nudnick
• snooze
• snoozer
• yawn
• yawner

Examples of drip in a Sentence

Verb

Water dripped from a leak in the ceiling.

Blood dripped down his leg from the cut.

Hot wax dripped onto my fingers.

The pine trees dripped sap onto the cars.

The kids dripped water all over the house.

Noun

Drips of water fell from a leak in the ceiling.

We heard the drip of the rain.

the steady drip, drip, drip of the faucet

Water fell from the ceiling in a steady drip.

The doctor put the patient on a morphine drip to manage the pain.

Don't invite that drip to your party!

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Afterward, the result was a mixture of rockrose leaves dripping with labdanum, a sticky resin, that the scientists used to haft arrowheads to wood in a type of makeshift spear. —Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024

Santa Belly Doughnut: An unglazed doughnut filled with white cream, dripped in red icing, piped with a black chocolate Santa belt and topped with a belt buckle. —Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 25 Nov. 2024

Noun

Opening your rain barrel spigot just enough to release a gentle drip of water can keep rain barrels from freezing on a cold night. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2024

The sensors are compact with drip detection on top and metal feet for leak detection beneath. —Boutayna Chokrane, WIRED, 3 Dec. 2024

Adjective

The 70-watt machine is equipped with a BPA-free dome lid, integrated sensor that activates when pressure is applied, stainless steel and anti-corrosive reamer and strainer, and non-drip spout to deliver breakfast juice or cocktail ingredients directly to your glass in a few seconds flat. —Alyson Sheppard, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2021

Jamie Kim's first job at Good Housekeeping Institute was testing a variety of consumer products, and one of her first tests was drip coffee makers. —Jamie Kim, Good Housekeeping, 28 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English drippen, from Old English dryppan; akin to Old English dropa drop

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Adjective

1895, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing drip

• drip-dry
• postnasal drip

Kids Definition

drip

1 of 2 verb

ˈdrip 

dripped; dripping

1

: to fall or let fall in or as if in drops

2

: to let fall drops of liquid

a dripping faucet

dripper noun

drip

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: a falling in drops

b

: liquid that drips

2

: the sound made by drops

Medical Definition

drip

1 of 2 verb

ˈdrip 

dripped; dripping

transitive verb

: to let fall in drops

intransitive verb

1

: to let fall drops of moisture or liquid

2

: to fall in drops

drip

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: a falling in drops see postnasal drip

b

: liquid that falls, overflows, or is extruded in drops

2

: a device for the administration of a fluid at a slow rate especially into a vein

was hooked up to an intravenous drip

also : a material so administered

a glucose drip

see gravity drip