sip

1 of 2

verb

ˈsip 

sipped; sipping; sips

intransitive verb

: to take a sip of something especially repeatedly

And, sipping on the beer, he remembered romantic days of yore …

—John Nichols

I boil some tea with the salty hut water and sit outside sipping away for a while watching a blanket of stars unfold …

—Clarissa Hirst

transitive verb

1

: to drink (something) in small quantities

On crowded, bustling Broadway there is a spot where one may sip espresso …

—The New York Times

Northern bats are more likely to eat insects than to sip nectar …

—Ann Lovejoy

2

: to take sips from (something)

… sip complimentary glasses of Champagne.

—Harvey Steiman

sipper noun

sip

2 of 2

noun

plural sips

1

: a small amount of liquid taken into the mouth with the lips

Jimmy wriggled himself into a more comfortable position, and took a sip from his glass.

—P. G. Wodehouse

It's enormously complex, revealing new facets with every sip.

—Wine Enthusiast Magazine

2

: the act of sipping

Jews traditionally begin their weekly Sabbath meal with a sip of wine and a Hebrew prayer …

—Jeff Morgan

Synonyms

Verb

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

Noun

• belt
• draft
• drag
• drink
• gulp
• nip
• quaff
• shot
• slug
• snort
• sup
• swallow
• swig
• swill

Examples of sip in a Sentence

Verb

She sipped her coffee while she watched the sun rise.

He sipped on the bottle of water.

Noun

there are a few sips left in the glass

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Six months later, a heavily scarred Margo is discovered by Paul and Lydia's police officer nephew Nate (Kevin Alves) while sipping a drink at a bar. —TIME, 13 Dec. 2024

Slather yourself in a fluffy throw, sip a green tea, and graze on strawberry sorbet with frozen raspberries and blueberries. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

Noun

Belair had a sip of the energy drink during her entrance at SummerSlam 2022. —Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

To further feed her peppermint craving, Smith pauses for a sip of mint tea, then tops her pout with a coat of Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Candy Cane. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English sippen; akin to Low German sippen to sip

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

sip

1 of 2 verb

ˈsip 

sipped; sipping

1

: to drink in small quantities or little by little

2

: to take sips from : taste

sipper noun

sip

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act of sipping

2

: a small amount taken by sipping