1 B1 informal
To go to a bar, pub, or restaurant to drink, rather than drinking at home.
"We don't usually drink out on weeknights, but we made an exception to celebrate her promotion."
inseparable
drink out
B1 informal inseparable intransitive
To drink at a bar, pub, or other venue outside of one's home.
In plain English
Go to a bar or pub to have drinks instead of drinking at home.
What does "drink out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To drain all the liquid from a container, leaving it empty.
"The dog had drunk the bowl out before we even got back from the shops."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To drink outside of a place, i.e., out of the home.
Actually means
Go to a bar or pub to have drinks instead of drinking at home.
Usage tip
Common in British English. Often used in social planning contexts. Less frequently used than 'eat out' but follows the same structural pattern. Sometimes also used to mean drinking from a public or communal source.
Words that pair with "drink out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
pub bar tonight Friday friends regularly
How to conjugate "drink out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
drink out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
drinks out
he/she/it
Past simple
drank out
yesterday
Past participle
drunk out
have + pp
-ing form
drinking out
continuous
Hear "drink out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "drink out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
go out drinking go out for drinks go to the pub socialise
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