wassail 1 of 2

Definition of wassailnext

wassail

2 of 2

verb

as in to drink
to take part in drunken revelry the knights feasted and wassailed for three days after the battlefield victory

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wassail
Noun
Enjoy Harvest Cider, special wassail cocktails, live music, costume contest and the Blessing of the Trees. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2024 One of the most traditional holiday drinks of them all, wintertime wassail gets a contemporary update in this flavorful drink recipe. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2023 Each glass of this nonalcoholic wassail is garnished with an apple slice and cinnamon stick. Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
Verb
Some speculate that wassailing predates Christianity in the region; others note its association with the Christian holiday of Twelfth Night. Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 24 Dec. 2025 In addition to the live music in Caldwell Hall, there's also an opportunity to join an English tradition: wassailing around the apple tree, a ritual to inspire a bountiful harvest in the year ahead. Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 19 Nov. 2025 Image Image In the village of Midsomer Norton, about 50 miles away, 100 people or so turned out for a community event to wassail three small apple trees in the local park. Stephen Castle, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025 This drink was often used as part of wassailing in England. Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023 Reisinger's Apple Country, located in Watkins Glen on Seneca Lake, also has a wassailing event on the horizon. Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Jan. 2018 There was toasting and wassailing all around And cinnamon sticks in yule logs were wrapped and bound. Marc Bona, cleveland.com, 26 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wassail
Noun
  • For speeders, drunks, reckless drivers and the like.
    Jim Radcliffe, Oc Register, 25 June 2026
  • The Burgess Park/Blessington Street Basin spin is easy duty really compared to the Finsbury Park/Ranelagh Gardens spin, where I was laid out once like a drunk for a good half hour.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Staying hydrated is also key, so make sure to drink plenty of water.
    Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 27 June 2026
  • The Tartan Army finally made it to Fenway, a sort of Loch Ness Monster meeting the Green Monstah, in time to watch the Texas Rangers beat the Red Sox 6-4, apparently drinking the Hub dry.
    Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • The charges stem from a March 15 crime spree in southeast Portland that prosecutors said targeted four women.
    Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
  • And Louis, perhaps exhausted from his spree of bouts, but also perhaps looking past Schmeling, hadn’t trained much.
    Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Fans who want to binge old episodes can find seasons 1 through 3 on Hulu.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026
  • Michelle has also faced ongoing comments on her appearance ‒ a 2011 cartoon depicted her as overweight and bingeing on hamburgers and more recently, she has been accused of taking Ozempic to lose weight.
    Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • Three sitting rooms are complemented by a further three members’ social spaces for carousing in, concealed behind a subtle screen (here, DJs including Goldierocks make appearances, and mobile snaps are banned; staff politely place a sticker over mobile camera lenses).
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
  • Bethany takes the explosive event as a sign to reunite with her old girlfriend Nel (Lena Góra), and carouse across lofts, clubs, and back alleys, leaving her erstwhile partner stranded.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wassail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wassail. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.

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