imbibe Hear it!

imbibe Definition

im·bibe (im bīb)

transitive verb -·bibed, -·bib·ing

    1. to drink (esp. alcoholic liquor)
    2. to take in with the senses; drink in
    1. to absorb (moisture)
    2. to inhale
  1. to take in with the senses or mind; drink in

Etymology: ME enbiben < L imbibere < in-, in + bibere, to drink < *pibere < IE *pi-, *pō-, to drink > Sans pti, (he) drinks, L potare

intransitive verb

to drink, esp. alcoholic liquor

imbibe Related Forms

im·biber noun

imbibe Synonyms

imbibe

v.

  1. To drink

    quaff, guzzle, ingest; see drink 1, 2, swallow.

  2. To absorb

    take in, assimilate, soak up, drink in; see absorb 1.

imbibe Usage Examples

Object

  • quantity: Some people who have imbibed large quantities of carrot juice in a relatively short time developed a yellow hue to their skin.
  • alcohol: Leeds United Witness El Tel's Super Whites do battle, when they're not busy imbibing alcohol or dining on Italian fodder.
  • atmosphere: It's a great place to stay to sort yourself out, imbibe the atmosphere, traditions and a taste of the future.
  • spirit: To imbibe the spirit of Morocco, wander the streets of the great cities.
  • culture: Are we to imagine that he imbibed Greek culture at the Sepphoris theater?
  • amount: Several of our beloved celebrities have been found to have imbibed dangerous amounts of injurious agents into their precious bodily precincts.

Modifying Another Word

  • also: Thanks to her grandmother, she was also imbibing a measure of Frank Sinatra.
  • freely: For alcohol, the situation is different, in those who imbibe too freely or too well.
  • already: We need to repent of the secular values we've already imbibed, and we need to be on guard against imbibing more.
  • much: He had, however, at the present moment imbibed too much of Mr Thorne's champagne to have any inward misgivings.
  • not: Speeches ensued in which the palindrome was explained to those not imbibed with the spirit of Python Monty.
  • over: They are expensive and if the weather is rough or too hot or you have over imbibed you will be wasting your money.

Preposition: in

childhood: He was embued with a radicalism which he said was part of the water in Wales, imbibed in childhood.

Browse dictionary entries near imbibe

  1. imbed
  2. imbecility
  3. imbecilic
  4. imbecile
  5. imbalance of orders
  6. imbalance
  7. imaret
  8. IMAP
  9. imamate
  10. imam
  1. imbibition
  2. imbitter
  3. imbricate
  4. imbrication
  5. imbroglio
  6. imbrue
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  9. IMF
  10. IMHO