What does "suck" mean?

1. (to draw in liquid) to pull liquid into your mouth using your lips and tongue. 2. (to hold in the mouth) to keep something in your mouth and move your tongue against it. 3. (to be bad) to be very bad, annoying, or disappointing. 4. (to pull with force) to pull something in a certain direction using suction or air. 5. (an act of suction) the act of pulling air or liquid into the mouth.

How do you use "suck"?

Often used with 'up' when drawing liquid through a straw. Commonly used with sweets or ice cubes. When used to describe a lack of skill, it takes the preposition 'at'. Often used with 'into' or 'down'. Usually used with 'take a'.

suck

v. · n.

US //ˈsək// UK //sˈʌk// suck

1 to draw in liquid (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to pull liquid into your mouth using your lips and tongue.

to draw liquid into the mouth by creating a vacuum with the lips and tongue.

Example

The child used a straw to suck the last bit of juice from the carton.

Example

The infant began to suck instinctively as soon as it was placed near the breast, demonstrating a fundamental survival reflex.

Usage

Often used with 'up' when drawing liquid through a straw.
2 to hold in the mouth (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to keep something in your mouth and move your tongue against it.

to hold something in the mouth and apply pressure or suction to extract flavour or moisture.

Example

He liked to suck on a piece of hard candy while he was working.

Example

The doctor advised the patient to suck on ice chips to stay hydrated without putting strain on the digestive system.

Usage

Commonly used with sweets or ice cubes.
- chew
- lick

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3 to be bad (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Slang

to be very bad, annoying, or disappointing.

to be extremely inferior, objectionable, or unpleasant. Intransitive, though often followed by 'at' to specify a skill.

Example

I really suck at tennis, but I enjoy playing with my friends anyway.

Example

The fans started booing because the team's performance really sucked during the second half of the game.

Usage

When used to describe a lack of skill, it takes the preposition 'at'.

Teacher's tip

While very common in casual speech, this can be considered mildly vulgar or rude in professional settings.
- stink
- be awful
- excel
- rule
4 to pull with force (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to pull something in a certain direction using suction or air.

to draw something in a specific direction through the force of a vacuum or moving fluid.

Example

The powerful vacuum cleaner can suck up all the dust from the carpet.

Example

The small boat was nearly sucked into the whirlpool created by the opening of the dam's floodgates.

Usage

Often used with 'into' or 'down'.
- expel
- push
5 an act of suction (n.)
C1 Advanced Informal

the act of pulling air or liquid into the mouth.

the action or an instance of drawing something in by suction.

Example

He took a long suck on his straw before answering the question.

Example

The diver took one last deep suck of air from the tank before beginning the final ascent to the surface.

Usage

Usually used with 'take a'.
- pull
- draw

Origin

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.

Word family

Verbsuck
Nounsucker

Idioms19 entries