# sucking

/ˈsəkɪŋ/ (US) · /sˈʌkɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sucking
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. pulling in liquid

verb · CEFR A2

the act of pulling liquid or air into your mouth using your muscles.

For teachers: the action of drawing something into the mouth by creating a vacuum with the lips and tongue.

- The child was sucking juice through a straw while watching cartoons.
- The infant remained calm while sucking on the pacifier, eventually falling into a deep sleep despite the noise in the room.

### 2. being very bad

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

used to say that something is very bad, annoying, or disappointing.

For teachers: functioning as a participle to describe a situation, object, or person as being of extremely poor quality or highly disagreeable.

- I am tired of this sucking weather ruining our weekend plans.
- He complained about his sucking luck after missing the train by only a few seconds for the third time this week.

### 3. the act or sound

noun · CEFR B2

the physical act or the sound made when someone sucks something.

For teachers: the instance or auditory manifestation of suction.

- The loud sucking sound from the drain meant the water was finally gone.
- The rhythmic sucking of the pump was the only sound audible in the quiet laboratory during the experiment.

### 4. drinking mother's milk

adjective · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

describing a young animal or baby that is still drinking its mother's milk.

For teachers: referring to an unweaned infant or young animal still nourished by its mother's milk.

- The farmer looked after the sucking calves in the barn.
- The ancient text described the protection of sucking lambs during the harsh winter months on the hillside.

## Examples

- The baby is sucking on a pacifier.
- The child sat quietly on the porch, sucking a cold juice box through a plastic straw to beat the summer heat.
- By sucking the venom from the wound, the protagonist in the film demonstrated a classic, though medically discouraged, response to a snake bite.

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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.