drip

¹ American  

[drip] / drɪp /

verb (used without object)

dripped, dript, dripping

1. to let drops fall; shed drops.

   This faucet drips.

2. to fall in drops, as a liquid.

   Synonyms:

   drizzle, sprinkle, leak, dribble, trickle

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verb (used with object)

dripped, dript, dripping

1. to let fall in drops.

noun

1. an act of dripping.

2. liquid that drips.

3. the sound made by falling drops.

   the irritating drip of a faucet.

4. Slang. an unattractive, boring, or colorless person.

5. (in house painting) the accumulation of solidified drops of paint at the bottom of a painted surface.

6. Architecture, Building Trades. any device, as a molding, for shedding rainwater to keep it from running down a wall, falling onto the sill of an opening, etc.

7. a pipe for draining off condensed steam from a radiator, heat exchanger, etc.

8. Medicine/Medical. intravenous drip.

9. Slang. maudlin sentimentality.

DRIP ² American  

[dee-ahr-ahy-pee, drip] / ˈdiˈɑrˈaɪˈpi, drɪp /

abbreviation

Business, Finance.

1. dividend reinvestment plan: a program under which investors opt to have their dividends automatically applied to the purchase of more shares in the company, increasing their investment while avoiding commission charges.

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drip British  

/ drɪp /

verb

1. to fall or let fall in drops

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noun

1. the formation and falling of drops of liquid

2. the sound made by falling drops

3. architect a projection at the front lower edge of a sill or cornice designed to throw water clear of the wall below

4. informal an inane, insipid person

5. med

   1. the usually intravenous drop-by-drop administration of a therapeutic solution, as of salt or sugar

   2. the solution administered

   3. the equipment used to administer a solution in this way

Other Word Forms

• nondrip adjective

Etymology

Origin of drip¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English dryppe, Old English dryppan; drop

Origin of DRIP²

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

"They admitted him to hospital where he developed a bad fever, really bad diarrhoea. He was on a drip, he needed constant fluids, constant painkillers," said Gareth.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The governor herself opts for a medium drip with cream, a spokeswoman said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

The prediction markets are under growing scrutiny as a steady drip of questionable trades make headlines.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Researchers in the late 1970s found that after patients had their molars extracted, an IV saline drip provided pain relief through the body’s natural ability to produce endorphins.

From Slate • Jan. 30, 2026

“Now imagine trying to pour that basin out slowly, drip by drip. It could be done, but it would require a great deal of control, an amount I don’t know that Adiah has anymore.”

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray