suck

SUK/sʌk/

16 meanings of suck

1
be badverbmildly vulgarcolloquialCanadaUSintransitive
To be very bad or annoying. A rude, casual word.
This movie sucks. Let's watch something else.
I suck at math, so my sister helps me with homework.
UsageSay you suck at something you do badly. Keep it for casual talk.
Similarstink
Oppositerock, rule
Note
2
draw out liquidverbtransitive
To pull a liquid or other substance out of something.
Plant roots suck water from the soil.
The mosquito sucked blood from her arm.
UsageSay suck something from or out of something.
Similardraw, extract, pull, siphon
Note
3
pull with forceverbtransitive
To pull something toward or into a place with a strong force, often without touching it.
Like a magnet that pulls a paper clip across the table without touching it.
The vacuum cleaner sucked the crumbs off the carpet.
Strong currents can suck swimmers under the water.
UsageSay sucked in, sucked out or sucked into something.
Similarpull, draw, drag
Oppositeblow
4
hold in mouthverbtransitive
To hold something in your mouth and move your tongue and lips on it.
She sucked a cough drop during the long meeting.
Kids often suck lollipops until only the stick is left.
UsageSay suck on a candy or suck your thumb.
5
verbtransitive
To pull liquid into your mouth with your lips, especially when a baby or young animal drinks milk from its mother.
The baby sucked warm milk from the bottle.
It's hard to suck a thick milkshake through a thin straw.
UsageSay a baby sucks on a bottle.
Similardraw, suckle
6
give oral sexverbslangvulgartransitive
To use the mouth on a man's penis for sex. A very rude word.
She refused to suck him, and he left angry.
He claimed a stranger sucked him in the club bathroom.
UsageYou can also say suck someone off, as in suck him off.
7
breathe inverbtransitive
To breathe in air or take a breath.
After the long run, we stood there trying to suck air.
He sucked in a quick breath before the big jump.
UsageSay suck in air or suck in a breath.
Note

Less common meanings

8
a sipnouncountable or uncountable
One pull of liquid, air, or smoke into the mouth.
She took a long suck of milkshake through the straw.
She took a quick suck from her water bottle and kept running.
UsageSay take a suck on a straw.
Similarpull, drag, puff, draw
9
badnessnounslanguncountable
The bad or low quality of something. A casual, sometimes rude slang word.
The first week of camp was pure suck, with rain and cold food.
The movie was two hours of pure suck.
UsageOften embrace the suck: accept that something is hard.
Note
10
nouncountable or uncountable
The pulling force that draws air or water inward, or how strong that pull is.
Like the pull you feel when bath water goes down the drain.
She felt the suck of the drain as the bath water went down.
When the train sped past the platform, riders felt the suck of air tug at their coats.
Similarsuction, pull
11
oral sex actnounvulgarcountable or uncountable
A very rude word for oral sex performed on a man.
He got slapped for asking her for a suck.
Someone had written on the bathroom wall, offering a suck for twenty dollars.
Note
12
crybabynounCanadacountable or uncountable
A person who complains a lot, feels sorry for themselves, or gives up like a sore loser.
Don't be a suck. One rainy day won't ruin the whole trip.
He's being a suck because his team lost again.
UsageOften such a suck: a person who whines.
Similarcrybaby, wimp, whiner
Note
13
teacher's petnouncountable or uncountable
A person, often a child, who tries too hard to please people in charge to get special treatment.
The other kids called him a suck for always staying late to help the teacher.
Don't be such a suck. You don't have to agree with everything the coach says.
Similarsycophant, toady, crawler
Note
14
noundatedcountable or uncountable
A small drink of strong alcohol, like whiskey.
Similarnip, dram, swig, tot
15
nounarchaic
Milk that a baby or young animal drinks from its mother.
The infant took suck in an instant, pulling strongly.
2010, Barbara Tieken, Bull Vaulter: Alena of the Isle of Green
16
noundialectal
A place in a river where strong currents pull together and make boats hard to steer.
Marvelous stories were told of "the suck" in early times. It was said that the water was so compressed that it would bear an ax.
1879, Edward Deering Mansfield, Personal Memories

Practice

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Origin

From Old English sūcan, meaning "to suck." It comes from older Germanic and Proto-Indo-European roots and is related to "soak."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Suck derives from Old English sūcan, meaning "to suck." en.wiktionary.org
The word has older Germanic and Proto-Indo-European roots. en.wiktionary.org
Suck is etymologically related to soak. en.wiktionary.org