binge
binge
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling: /bɪndʒ/
/b/: The 'b' sound as in bat.
/ɪ/: The 'i' sound as in sit.
/ndʒ/: The 'nge' sound as in orange or judge.
Word Form Variations
Noun (Singular): binge
Noun (Plural): binges
Verb (Infinitive): binge
Verb (Third-Person Singular): binges
Verb (Past Tense): binged
Verb (Present Participle/Gerund): binging or bingeing
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A short, intense period of excessive and uncontrolled indulgence, especially in eating, drinking alcohol, or consuming media (like television shows).
Synonyms: spree, bender, splurge, overindulgence
Antonyms: moderation, restraint, abstinence, temperance
Verb
To indulge in an activity, especially eating, drinking, or watching, to an excessive or uncontrolled degree over a short period.
Synonyms: overindulge, gorge, splurge, overdo
Antonyms: abstain, refrain, moderate, limit
Examples of Use
📚 In Books and Literature
In memoirs addressing addiction or eating disorders, authors often describe periods of uncontrolled consumption as a "binge," detailing the cycle of compulsion and regret (Roxane Gay, Hunger).
Fictional thrillers may use the word to show a character's instability; for instance, a detective might review surveillance footage showing the suspect on a "shopping binge" just before committing a crime.
📰 In Newspapers
Public health sections frequently feature articles on the dangers of binge drinking, especially reports released by universities or government health agencies analyzing collegiate habits.
Lifestyle or "Arts & Leisure" sections often discuss the "weekend binge," referencing the trend of viewers waiting for an entire season of a show to be available so they can watch it all at once.
💻 In Online Publications
Tech and culture websites like The Verge or Vulture often review new streaming releases by questioning if they are "worth the binge."
Financial advice blogs or wellness sites may publish articles titled "How to Stop the 'Buy Now' Binge," linking impulsive online shopping to cycles of debt.
🎬 In Entertainment Mediums and Platforms
Streaming services like Netflix actively integrated the term into their marketing and user interface, using categories like "Binge-Worthy TV Shows" to recommend content.
In television shows, characters experiencing emotional distress are often depicted binging on "comfort food" like ice cream or pizza (e.g., Friends; Gilmore Girls).
🗣️ In General Public Discourse
On social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), users frequently post: "I'm about to binge the entire new season of The Crown."
In casual conversation, someone might say, "I went on a reading binge last vacation and finished three novels in two days."
10 Famous Quotes Using Binge
There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. (Hunter S. Thompson)
Life itself is the proper binge. (Julia Child)
If you're going to binge, literature is definitely the way to do it. (Oprah Winfrey)
The Netflix brand for TV shows is really all about binge viewing. (Reed Hastings)
If they want to binge... we should let them binge. (Kevin Spacey)
Modern civilization is a product of an energy binge. (Alfred W. Crosby)
I love a good Netflix binge! (Simone Biles)
I binge when I'm happy. (Kirstie Alley)
They sometimes binge on food, drink, or high-definition televisions. (Richard Thaler)
Everyone is going to binge on a diet, for instance, so plan for it, schedule it, and contain the damage. (Tim Ferriss)
Etymology
The word binge comes to us from an English dialect, specifically from the Lincolnshire region in the mid-19th century (around 1854).
Its original meaning had nothing to do with eating or drinking. "Binge" originally meant "to soak."
If you had a wooden bucket, tub, or barrel that had dried out and started to leak, you would "binge" it—that is, you would soak it in water. This would cause the wood to swell up and seal the cracks.
You can see the connection: this idea of total soaking or saturation was eventually applied to people. By the late 19th or early 20th century, the word evolved into slang for a heavy drinking spree. A person on a "binge" was seen as "soaking" themselves in alcohol, much like a leaky bucket.
From there, the term expanded to describe any period of excessive, uncontrolled indulgence, which is how we get the modern uses for "eating binge" and "Netflix binge."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Binge
Phrases Using "Binge"
Binge-watch (or Binge-watching)
Binge-drink (or Binge-drinking)
Binge-eat (or Binge-eating)
Binge and purge
To go on a binge
A shopping binge
A Netflix binge (or streaming binge)
A reading binge
A crying binge
Idioms and Phrases with a Similar Meaning
To go on a bender
To go on a spree (e.g., "shopping spree," "spending spree")
To pig out
To paint the town red
To eat (someone) out of house and home
To have a field day
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of binge from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
