What does "drip" mean?
A drop of a liquid.
Drip
/dɹɪp/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A drop of a liquid.
- Grammar: drip is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: dribble, trickle, administer, balderdash.
- Useful contrasts: gentle spray, blitzes, blotting.
- Usage evidence: Remove the cap from the ink refill bottle, fill the dropper with ink, and drip an appropriate amount onto the marker's core.
How to use "drip"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "drip" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "drip" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "drip" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "drip" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "drip" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dribble" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "drip", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A drop of a liquid. countable, uncountable
"I put a drip of vanilla extract in my hot cocoa."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of DRIP (“dividend reinvestment plan”) alt-of
- 3 Acronym of dividend reinvestment plan or dividend reinvestment program. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 4 (architecture) a projection from a cornice or sill designed to protect the area below from rainwater (as over a window or doorway) wordnet
- 5 A falling or letting fall in drops; act of dripping. countable, uncountable
"the light drip of the suspended oar"
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 the sound of a liquid falling drop by drop wordnet
- 7 An apparatus that slowly releases a liquid, especially one that intravenously releases drugs into a patient's bloodstream. countable, uncountable
"He's not doing so well. The doctors have put him on a drip."
- 8 flowing in drops; the formation and falling of drops of liquid wordnet
- 9 A limp, ineffectual, or uninteresting person. colloquial, countable, derogatory, uncountable
"He couldn't even summon up the courage to ask her name... what a drip!"
- 10 That part of a cornice, sill course, or other horizontal member, which projects beyond the rest, and has a section designed to throw off rainwater. countable, uncountable
- 11 Style; swagger; fashionable and/or expensive clothing. slang, uncountable
"His drip is looking fine, especially the Supreme t-shirt."
Verb
- 1 To fall one drop at a time. intransitive
"Listening to the tap next door drip all night drove me mad!"
- 2 let or cause to fall in drops wordnet
- 3 To leak slowly. intransitive
"Does the sink drip, or have I just spilt water over the floor?"
- 4 fall in drops wordnet
- 5 To let fall in drops. transitive
"After putting oil on the side of the salad, the chef should drip a little vinegar in the oil."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 To have a superabundance of (something). intransitive, usually
"The Old Hall simply drips with masterpieces of the Flemish painters."
- 7 To rain lightly; to drizzle. intransitive
"The weather isn't so bad. I mean, it's dripping, but you're not going to get so wet."
- 8 To be wet, to be soaked. intransitive
- 9 To whine or complain consistently; to grumble. UK, intransitive, slang
"The Women's Royal Naval Service was integrated with the Royal Navy in November 1993. […] Men interviewed by Public Eye (April, 1994) said they should 'stop dripping about it' and that women should learn to 'take it like a man […]"
- 10 Be impressive or attractive. slang, stative
"I'm sorry for drippin', but drip is what I do. And one of these days, I'm gon' get dressed and drip all over you."
Slang
- 1 Stylish look, fit, or overall fashion. slang, fashion, 2010s-2020s
"Your drip is clean today."
Antonyms
Example
"Remove the cap from the ink refill bottle, fill the dropper with ink, and drip an appropriate amount onto the marker's core."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "drip"?
Common synonyms include: dribble, trickle, administer, balderdash, baloney, bead.
How do you use "drip" in a sentence?
Remove the cap from the ink refill bottle, fill the dropper with ink, and drip an appropriate amount onto the marker's core.
How do you pronounce "drip"?
Pronounced /dɹɪp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English drippen, druppen, from Old English drypan, from Proto-Germanic *drupjaną (“to fall in drops, drip”), from Proto-Germanic *drupô (“drop”). Akin to West Frisian drippe (“to drip”), Dutch druipen, druppelen (“to drip”), German Low German drüppen (“to drip”), German tropfen, tröpfeln (“to drip”), Norwegian Bokmål dryppe, Norwegian Nynorsk drypa (“to drip”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English drippe, from the verb (see above). Compare West Frisian drip (“drip”), Dutch drup (“drip”), Danish dryp (“drip”). (style, swagger): Compare the verb sense "to have a superabundance of valuable things".
Etymology 3
Acronym.