imbibe

verb

im·​bibe im-ˈbīb 

imbibed; imbibing

transitive verb

1

a

: drink

b

: to take in or up

a sponge imbibes moisture

2

a

: to receive into the mind and retain

imbibe moral principles

b

: to assimilate or take into solution

3

archaic : soak, steep

intransitive verb

1

: drink sense 2

2

a

: to take in liquid

b

: to absorb or assimilate moisture, gas, light, or heat

imbiber noun

Synonyms

• belt (down)
• drink
• gulp
• guzzle
• hoist
• knock back
• pound (down)
• quaff
• sip
• slug (down)
• slurp
• sup
• swig
• swill
• toss (down or off)

Examples of imbibe in a Sentence

She imbibed vast quantities of coffee.

She never imbibes but isn't offended when others do.

Recent Examples on the Web

Jillian Dara is a freelance journalist who covers spirits, wine and the global culture of imbibing. —Jillian Dara, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024

Folks piled in early to start imbibing in anticipation of that night’s men’s basketball national championship game, Knight’s Isiah Thomas-led Hoosiers against Dean Smith, Al Wood, James Worthy and North Carolina. —Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024

Cocktail lovers can imbibe in the Saluti Cocktail Napkins, Set of 4, and Vintage Style Flask—products available as stocking stuffers under $30. —Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Nov. 2024

Public health campaigns warned women against the dangers of smoking, imbibing alcohol, and even drinking coffee in the first trimester of pregnancy. —Lara Freidenfelds / Made By History, TIME, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enbiben to absorb, cause to absorb, from Latin imbibere to drink in, absorb, from in- + bibere to drink — more at potable

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Kids Definition

imbibe

verb

im·​bibe im-ˈbīb 

imbibed; imbibing

1

: to receive into the mind and retain

imbibe knowledge

2

a

: drink entry 1 sense 1a

b

: absorb sense 1

imbiber noun