guzzle
Intermediate (B1-B2)Informal, sometimes humorous or mildly disapproving.
Definition
Meaning
To drink or eat something quickly and greedily, often in large quantities.
To consume any resource, such as fuel, money, or energy, rapidly and in large, wasteful amounts.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word implies both speed and a lack of restraint or manners, often with a suggestion of wastefulness or gluttony. It is more emotive and judgemental than the neutral 'consume' or 'drink'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage and meaning are identical between BrE and AmE.
Connotations
Universally conveys a negative or humorous judgement on excessive consumption.
Frequency
Slightly more common in British English in everyday speech, but well-understood in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + guzzle + [Object] (e.g., The car guzzles fuel).[Subject] + guzzle down + [Object] (e.g., He guzzled down his drink).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To guzzle like there's no tomorrow.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used metaphorically to criticise inefficient machinery or projects that consume excessive capital (e.g., 'The new server farm guzzles electricity').
Academic
Rare. Might appear in informal socio-economic commentary on consumerism or environmental studies (e.g., 'societies that guzzle natural resources').
Everyday
Common for describing people drinking alcohol greedily or vehicles using too much fuel.
Technical
Not used in formal technical writing; informal shorthand for 'high consumption rate'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The old Land Rover absolutely guzzles diesel.
- After the match, they went to the pub to guzzle pints of lager.
American English
- That truck guzzles gas like it's going out of style.
- He guzzled his soda during the commercial break.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My dad says our car guzzles petrol.
- Don't guzzle your juice.
- The teenagers guzzled all the lemonade in one afternoon.
- Older model air conditioners guzzle a lot of electricity.
- The festival goers spent the weekend guzzling beer in the summer sun.
- Critics argue that the government's new scheme is just guzzling taxpayers' money.
- The multinational corporation was accused of guzzling the region's scarce water resources for its bottling plants.
- He had a tendency to guuzzle down information from multiple sources without critical analysis.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a guzzling bear gulping down honey from a 'guzzle' (like 'guzzle' rhymes with 'puzzle', but instead of solving, it's greedily swallowing).
Conceptual Metaphor
CONSUMPTION IS A RAPID, UNCONTROLLED LIQUID FLOW (e.g., 'guzzling money', 'guzzling fuel').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'to gulp' (сглатывать, делать большой глоток). 'Guzzle' is more about continuous, greedy consumption, not a single action.
- The Russian verb 'хлебать' captures the inelegant, greedy connotation well.
- Avoid translating as просто 'пить' (to drink), as it loses the critical nuance.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in formal contexts (e.g., *'The patient guzzled the medicine').
- Using it for small quantities (e.g., *'She guzzled a sip of tea').
- Incorrect preposition: *'guzzle on beer' (correct: 'guzzle beer' or 'guzzle down beer').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the use of 'guzzle' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while its core meaning relates to drinking, it is commonly extended to other resources like fuel, energy, or money, implying rapid, wasteful consumption.
Not rude, but it is informal and carries a tone of mild disapproval or humour. It's not a word you would typically use in polite, formal descriptions.
'Gulp' refers to swallowing a large amount of something at once, often due to surprise or need. 'Guzzle' implies continuous, greedy, and often noisy consumption over a period of time.
Rarely. Its connotations of greed and wastefulness are almost always negative or humorously critical. A possible positive use might be in playful, hyperbolic language among friends (e.g., 'Let's guzzle these amazing smoothies!').