# drink up

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/drink-up
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to finish your whole drink. You use this when you want someone to drink everything that is left in their glass.

For teachers: to consume the entirety of a beverage; often used as an imperative to encourage completion of a drink before departure or a new activity.

## Examples

- Drink up! It is time to leave for the station.
- The bartender told the customers to drink up because the pub was closing in five minutes.
- After the final toast was made, the host encouraged everyone to drink up so they could begin the walk to the dining hall for the main course.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He drinked up his juice." but "He drank up his juice." — 'drink' is an irregular verb; the past tense is 'drank' regardless of the particle.

## Usage notes

- can be used alone as an imperative or with a direct object.
- Teaching tip: the particle 'up' here functions as a completive, similar to 'eat up' or 'clean up', indicating that the action should be done thoroughly or until finished.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.