Meaning & use
sup
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Meanings
interjectioninformalslang
A very informal greeting, used mainly in writing online, that asks how someone is or what is happening.
Grammar: Used on its own as a greeting; it is a shortened, casual spelling of "What's up?" and is not polite in formal situations.
Patterns
- Sup?
- Sup, man?
- Hey, sup?
Sup? I haven't seen you online all week.
He sent me a message that just said "sup" and nothing else.
Sup, guys — are we still meeting at eight?
verbintransitiveold-fashionedliterary
To eat the evening meal, especially in a relaxed or old-fashioned way.
Grammar: No object; it means to have supper, so you do not say "sup food."
Patterns
- sup with someone
- sup on something
They supped together by candlelight in the old farmhouse.
We supped on bread, cheese, and cold soup.
In the story, the travelers sup at the inn before they set off again.
verbtransitiveliteraryold-fashioned
To drink something slowly, taking small amounts at a time.
Grammar: Takes an object, often a drink: sup your tea. It sounds literary or regional today.
Patterns
- sup something
- sup at something
She supped her tea slowly and watched the rain.
The old man supped at his broth without saying a word.
He supped the hot soup carefully so as not to burn his mouth.
Word forms
| third person singular | sups |
|---|---|
| past tense | supped |
| past participle | supped |
| -ing form | supping |
Common combinations
- sup with someone
- We supped with our neighbors on the last night of the holiday.
- sup on something
- They supped on leftovers and talked until midnight.
- sup your tea
- He supped his tea quietly while the others argued.
- sup at something
- She supped at her soup, too tired to finish it.
- Sup?
- Sup? You look like you've had a long day.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dine
- More formal and neutral than "sup," and it does not sound old-fashioned.
- eat
- The ordinary everyday word; "sup" is much rarer and sounds literary or dated.
- sip
- Used for drinking in small amounts, but "sip" is common today while "sup" is old-fashioned.
- hi
- A neutral greeting; "sup" is far more casual and is mostly written, not spoken to strangers.
Opposites
Word family
- supper noun
- The evening meal; the noun most closely related to the verb "sup."
Commonly confused: sup or soup? sup or sip?
sup vs soup
"Soup" is the food you eat with a spoon; "sup" is a verb meaning to eat supper or drink slowly, and the two words are not related in meaning.
sup vs sip
Both involve drinking, but "sip" is the normal modern word and "sup" is old-fashioned and rare.
Practice
Which sentence uses "sup" correctly as a verb?
Choose one answer.
"Sup on something" is the usual pattern for the food you eat, so "supped on bread and cheese" fits. "Sup" is intransitive in this sense and does not take the food as a direct object, so "supped the bread" is wrong, and "to" and "for" do not go with this verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sup”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.