English Reference
verb · noun

piss

v. · n.
US /ˈpɪs/ UK /pˈɪs/ piss UK spelling pisses

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Vulgar

    v.to pass liquid waste from your body.

    v.to urinate. Intransitive in its primary sense; considered vulgar in most social contexts.

    Simple

    He had to stop the car because he really needed to piss.

    In context

    The dog had pissed against the garden fence, leaving a visible mark on the wood.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced British EnglishVulgarInformal

    v.to rain very hard.

    v.to rain with great intensity. Often used with 'it' as a dummy subject.

    Simple

    We couldn't go for a walk because it was pissing with rain all day.

    In context

    It started pissing down just as we reached the summit, forcing us to seek immediate shelter in a nearby cave.

    pourteem
  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Vulgar

    n.the yellow liquid waste that comes out of your body.

    n.urine. Uncountable when referring to the substance; countable when referring to the act of urination.

    Simple

    The alleyway smelled strongly of piss and old rubbish.

    In context

    The laboratory technician requested a fresh sample, as the previous one was contaminated with more than just piss.

  4. 04 C1 Advanced British EnglishVulgarInformal

    n.weak or poor quality beer or alcohol.

    n.alcohol, particularly beer, perceived to be of inferior quality or weak strength.

    Simple

    I'm not drinking that warm piss; let's go to a better pub.

    In context

    He complained that the local lager tasted like cat piss, much to the annoyance of the bartender.

    swill
  5. 05 C2 Proficiency British EnglishVulgarSlang

    v.to do something very easily without much effort.

    v.to accomplish a task with negligible effort. Transitive; typically used in competitive or academic contexts.

    Simple

    He's so smart he'll piss the exam without even studying.

    In context

    The home team is so much stronger that they should piss this match by at least three goals.

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union , Moore said: “The response of the president of United States pisses me off.

The Guardian· 16 Aug 2026

From Middle English pisse (noun) and pissen (verb), from Old French pissier, possibly from Vulgar Latin *pīssiāre, probably of imitative origin. Compare Old Norse pissa (“to urinate, piss”). Displaced Old English micge.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin la-vul *pīssiāre
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated