1 B2 neutral
To drink the entire contents of a glass, cup, or other vessel without leaving any.
"He drank off the last of his ale and slammed the mug on the bar."
separable
drink off
B2 neutral separable transitive
To finish or consume a drink completely, often in one go.
In plain English
Drink the whole thing until there is nothing left in the glass or cup.
What does "drink off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To consume a drink in one swift, continuous action.
"She drank off the medicine without stopping to breathe."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To remove the contents of a vessel by drinking.
Actually means
Drink the whole thing until there is nothing left in the glass or cup.
Usage tip
Somewhat archaic or literary in modern usage; 'drink up' or 'knock back' are more common in everyday speech. More frequent in older literature and regional British English.
Words that pair with "drink off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
glass cup draught potion contents measure
How to conjugate "drink off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
drink off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
drinks off
he/she/it
Past simple
drank off
yesterday
Past participle
drunk off
have + pp
-ing form
drinking off
continuous
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