suck

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) An instance of drawing something into one's mouth by inhaling.
2. (uncountable) Milk drawn from the breast.
3. (countable, uncountable) An indrawing of gas or liquid caused by suction.
4. (uncountable) The ability to suck; suction.
5. (countable, uncountable) A part of a river towards which strong currents converge making navigation difficult.
6. (Canada, countable, uncountable) A weak, self-pitying person; a person who refuses to go along with others, especially out of spite; a crybaby or sore loser.
7. (countable, uncountable) A sycophant, especially a child.
8. (countable, dated, slang, uncountable) A short drink, especially a dram of spirits.
9. (countable, uncountable, vulgar) An act of fellatio.
10. (slang, uncountable) Badness or mediocrity.

Verb

1. (transitive) To use the mouth and lips to pull in (a liquid, especially milk from the breast).
2. (intransitive) To perform such an action; to feed from a breast or teat.
3. (transitive) To put the mouth or lips to (a breast, a mother etc.) to draw in milk.
4. (transitive) To extract, draw in (a substance) from or out of something.
5. (archaic, transitive) To inhale (air), to draw (breath).
6. (transitive) To work the lips and tongue on (an object) to extract moisture or nourishment; to absorb (something) in the mouth.
7. (transitive) To pull (something) in a given direction, especially without direct contact.
8. (slang, transitive, vulgar) To perform fellatio.
9. (Canada, US, colloquial, intransitive, sometimes, stative, vulgar) To be inferior or objectionable: a general term of disparagement, sometimes used with at to indicate a particular area of deficiency.

Synonyms

sip

suckle

drink

🥤

absorb

slurp

nurse

inhale

breathe in

draw in

smoke

suck in

kiss

😗

suck up

suction

take in

draw

lick

swallow

breastfeed

pull in

fellate

sucking

blow

imbibe

take up

lactate

wet-nurse

puff

go down on

sop up

give suck

soak up

attract

chew

smack one’s lips

sob

😭

pull

munch

gulp

drink in

eat

🍽️

nursing

smack the lips

keep in the mouth

take food

be very bad

smell up

stink up

suck milk

reach one’s nostrils

Translations

sucer

chupar

saugen

succhiare

zuigen

chupar

lutschen

sugar

mamar

téter

sorber

مص

emmek

θηλάζω

Pronounced as (IPA)

/sʌk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: souken

Inherited from Old English: sūcan

Cognate with Scots: souke

Cognate with Dutch: zuiken

Cognate with Limburgish: zuken

Cognate with Old English: sūgan

Cognate with Western Frisian: sûge

Cognate with Dutch: zuigen

Cognate with German: -

Cognate with Swedish: suga

Cognate with Icelandic: sjúga

Cognate with Latin: sūgō

Cognate with Welsh: sugno

In summary

From Middle English souken, suken, from Old English sūcan (“to suck”), from Proto-West Germanic *sūkan, from Proto-Germanic *sūkaną (“to suck, suckle”), from Proto-Indo-European *sewg-, *sewk- (“to suck”). Cognate with Scots souke (“to suck”), obsolete Dutch zuiken (“to suck”), Limburgish zuken, zoeken (“to suck”). Akin also to Old English sūgan (“to suck”), West Frisian sûge, sûge (“to suck”), Dutch zuigen (“to suck”), German saugen (“to suck”), Swedish suga (“to suck”), Icelandic sjúga (“to suck”), Latin sūgō (“suck”), Welsh sugno (“suck”). Related to soak.