as in drunk
a bout of prolonged or excessive drinking
woke up with a terrible headache from a wild wassail the night before
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Recent Examples of wassail
Amiel Stanek, Bon Appétit, 26 Nov. 2024
The French enjoy their vin chaud, the British their wassail.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2024
Each glass of this nonalcoholic wassail is garnished with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
Enjoy Harvest Cider, special wassail cocktails, live music, costume contest and the Blessing of the Trees.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2024
One of the most traditional holiday drinks of them all, wintertime wassail gets a contemporary update in this flavorful drink recipe.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2023
One variation involves people traveling door-to-door singing traditional songs and spreading good wishes while carrying a bowl of wassail.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
Reception from 5-8 p.m. (360 K St.; see Facebook event) Anchorage Distillery — Paintings and prints by Laura Dewey with a limited special edition cocktail menu, including whiskey wassail.
—Anchorage Daily News, 4 Nov. 2021
By the era of Downton Abbey, the practice of drinking wassail had moved to Christmas and the roasted apples served only as flavoring and decoration.
—The Official Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook, Town & Country, 4 Nov. 2020
Stephen Castle, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
This drink was often used as part of wassailing in England.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
Reisinger's Apple Country, located in Watkins Glen on Seneca Lake, also has a wassailing event on the horizon.
—Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Jan. 2018
There was toasting and wassailing all around And cinnamon sticks in yule logs were wrapped and bound.
—Marc Bona, cleveland.com, 26 Oct. 2017
Noun
Since 2022, cider sommelier Dan Pucci and Madeleine Osborn have hosted their idiosyncratic take on an English wassail celebration, the ancient tradition of visiting apple orchards in the wintertime to fête the trees and promote a prosperous harvest in the year to come.
—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appétit, 26 Nov. 2024
The French enjoy their vin chaud, the British their wassail.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2024
Each glass of this nonalcoholic wassail is garnished with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
Enjoy Harvest Cider, special wassail cocktails, live music, costume contest and the Blessing of the Trees.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2024
One of the most traditional holiday drinks of them all, wintertime wassail gets a contemporary update in this flavorful drink recipe.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2023
One variation involves people traveling door-to-door singing traditional songs and spreading good wishes while carrying a bowl of wassail.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
Reception from 5-8 p.m. (360 K St.; see Facebook event) Anchorage Distillery — Paintings and prints by Laura Dewey with a limited special edition cocktail menu, including whiskey wassail.
—Anchorage Daily News, 4 Nov. 2021
By the era of Downton Abbey, the practice of drinking wassail had moved to Christmas and the roasted apples served only as flavoring and decoration.
—The Official Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook, Town & Country, 4 Nov. 2020
Verb
Image Image In the village of Midsomer Norton, about 50 miles away, 100 people or so turned out for a community event to wassail three small apple trees in the local park.
—Stephen Castle, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
This drink was often used as part of wassailing in England.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
Reisinger's Apple Country, located in Watkins Glen on Seneca Lake, also has a wassailing event on the horizon.
—Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Jan. 2018
There was toasting and wassailing all around And cinnamon sticks in yule logs were wrapped and bound.
—Marc Bona, cleveland.com, 26 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wassail
Noun
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That’s different from dealing with homosexual drunks.—
Bryan Washington,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
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The bus is full of heroes, students, shoppers, phone scrollers, mothers with kids, silent commuters and the occasional drunks.—
Keith Sharon,
The Tennessean,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The midshipmen poured water into the cup, taking turns drinking from it in a victory celebration.—
Tyrone Turner,
NPR,
12 Apr. 2025
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Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Simone Biles Knows Something About Victory Biles is coming off a record-setting spree in 2024 after winning four Olympic medals at the Paris Games, bringing her total medal count to 11 with seven gold, two silver and two bronze.—
Kasey Nelson,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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In addition to Sacramento, the group robbed banks and credit unions in Vallejo, Suisun City, Benicia, Concord and Antioch in a spree that began in June of 2023 and continued through September 2024, the agreement shows.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who. brain structure & function brain wellness 1 free article left Want More?—
Monica Cull,
Discover Magazine,
3 Apr. 2025
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The option to binge all eight episodes in theaters for one ticket will also be available.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Some allegedly caroused until dawn.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Mar. 2025
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From there, a series of scenes — a late-night house party full of adults drinking and carousing, a cascade of tinsel falling off a Christmas tree, a playground fail — replicate a you-are-there feeling as a preadolescent named Elwood Curtis navigates the agonies and ecstasies of boyhood.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
12 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Wassail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wassail. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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