imbibe

[ im-bahyb ]

verb (used with object)

, im·bibed, im·bib·ing.

1. to consume (liquids) by drinking; drink:

   He imbibed great quantities of iced tea.

   Synonyms: swallow

2. to absorb or soak up, as water, light, or heat:

   Plants imbibe moisture from the soil.

3. to take or receive into the mind, as knowledge, ideas, or the like:

   to imbibe a sermon; to imbibe beautiful scenery.

verb (used without object)

, im·bibed, im·bib·ing.

1. to drink, especially alcoholic beverages:

   Just a soft drink for me—I don't imbibe.

2. to absorb liquid or moisture.
3. Archaic. to soak or saturate; imbue.

imbibe

/ ɪmˈbaɪb /

verb

1. to drink (esp alcoholic drinks)
2. literary.
   to take in or assimilate (ideas, facts, etc)

   to imbibe the spirit of the Renaissance

3. tr to take in as if by drinking

   to imbibe fresh air

4. to absorb or cause to absorb liquid or moisture; assimilate or saturate

Derived Forms

• imˈbiber, noun

Other Words From

• im·biber noun
• preim·bibe verb (used with object) preimbibed preimbibing
• unim·bibed adjective
• unim·bibing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of imbibe¹

1350–1400; < Latin imbibere to drink in, equivalent to im- im- ¹ + bibere to drink; replacing Middle English enbiben < Middle French embiber < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of imbibe¹

C14: from Latin imbibere, from bibere to drink

Synonym Study

See drink.

Example Sentences

But when doctors said he could imbibe at 19, “The floodgates opened,” he recalled in 2017.

From Los Angeles Times

An extremely light drinker, Yamamoto said that even the magnitude of this victory couldn’t drive him to imbibe any of the adult beverages provided to the players.

From Los Angeles Times

Floating around in WALL-E pods imbibing our own bespoke distractions like force-fed ducks is a far cry from the exciting future our tech advancements can promise.

From Salon

I had thought I’d want to spend evenings there imbibing with a Super Tuscan wine, but now I’m not so sure.

From Los Angeles Times

Even when what you really want is a non-alcoholic Aperol spritz, it can feel awkward to repeatedly say “no thanks!” in the face of constant pressure to imbibe.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• assimilate
• guzzle
• ingest
• quaff