5 to suck someone dry → see dry
▸ suck up PHRASAL VERB You say that someone is sucking up to a person in authority when you do not like the fact that they are trying to please the person because of the person's position. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V P + to ] She kept sucking up to the teachers, especially Mrs Clements. [Also V P ]
suck|er /sʌ kə r / (suckers )
1 N‑COUNT If you call someone a sucker , you mean that it is very easy to cheat them. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ But that is what the suckers want so you give it them.
2 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a sucker for something, you mean that they find it very difficult to resist it. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ for ] I'm such a sucker for romance.
3 N‑COUNT The suckers on some animals and insects are the parts on the outside of their body which they use in order to stick to a surface.
4 N‑COUNT A sucker is a small device used for attaching things to surfaces. It consists of a cup-shaped piece of rubber that sticks to a surface when it is pressed flat. □ …sucker pads.
suck|le /sʌ k ə l/ (suckles , suckling , suckled )
1 VERB When a mother suckles her baby, she feeds it by letting it suck milk from her breast. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V n] A young woman suckling a baby is one of life's most natural and delightful scenes.
2 VERB When a baby suckles , it sucks milk from its mother's breast. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] As the baby suckles, a further supply of milk is generated.
su|crose /suː kroʊs/ N‑UNCOUNT Sucrose is a common type of sugar. [TECHNICAL ]
suc|tion /sʌ kʃ ə n/ (suctions , suctioning , suctioned )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Suction is the process by which liquids, gases, or other substances are drawn out of somewhere. □ Dustbags act as a filter and suction will be reduced if they are too full.
2 VERB If a doctor or nurse suctions a liquid, they remove it by using a machine which sucks it away. □ [V n] Michael was showing the nurse how to suction his saliva.
3 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Suction is the process by which two surfaces stick together when the air between them is removed. □ …their pneumatic robot which uses air to move and sticks to surfaces by suction.
Su|da|nese /suː dəniː z/ (Sudanese )
1 ADJ Sudanese means belonging or relating to Sudan, or to its people or culture.
2 N‑PLURAL The Sudanese are the people of Sudan.
sud|den ◆◇◇ /sʌ d ə n/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Sudden means happening quickly and unexpectedly. □ He had been deeply affected by the sudden death of his father-in-law. □ She started to thank him, but a sudden movement behind him caught her attention. □ It was all very sudden. ● sud|den|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ The enemy seemed stunned by the suddenness of the attack.
2 PHRASE If something happens all of a sudden , it happens quickly and unexpectedly. □ All of a sudden she didn't look sleepy any more. SYNONYMS sudden ADJ 1
hasty: They have airplane tickets in case they need to make a hasty escape.
rapid: …the rapid decline in the birth rate in Western Europe.
abrupt: His abrupt departure is bound to raise questions.
su d|den dea th N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Sudden death is a way of quickly deciding the winner of something such as a football or basketball game or a golf tournament when there are equal scores at the time when it would normally end. In a sudden-death situation, the first team to score a goal or the first golfer to win a hole is the winner.
sud|den|ly ◆◆◇ /sʌ d ə nli/ ADV [ADV with v, oft ADV adj] If something happens suddenly , it happens quickly and unexpectedly. □ Suddenly, she looked ten years older. □ Her expression suddenly altered. □ He sat down suddenly.
su|do|ku /sudəʊ kuː/ (sudokus ) N‑VAR Sudoku is a type of puzzle in which certain numbers must be arranged within a grid. The aim is to avoid repeating any number in the same row or column.
suds /sʌ dz/ N‑PLURAL Suds are the bubbles that are produced when a substance such as soap is mixed with water. □ He had soap suds in his ears.
sue /suː / (sues , suing , sued ) VERB If you sue someone, you start a legal case against them, usually in order to claim money from them because they have harmed you in some way. □ [V n + for ] She sued him for libel over the remarks. □ [V ] One former patient has already indicated his intention to sue. [Also V n]
suede /swe I d/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Suede is leather with a soft, slightly rough surface. □ Albert wore a brown suede jacket and jeans.
suet /suː I t/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Suet is hard animal fat that is used in cooking.
suf|fer ◆◆◇ /sʌ fə r / (suffers , suffering , suffered )
1 VERB If you suffer pain, you feel it in your body or in your mind. □ [V n] Within a few days she had become seriously ill, suffering great pain and discomfort. □ [V ] Can you assure me that my father is not suffering?
2 VERB If you suffer from an illness or from some other bad condition, you are badly affected by it. □ [V + from ] He was eventually diagnosed as suffering from terminal cancer. □ [V + from ] I realized he was suffering from shock.
3 VERB If you suffer something bad, you are in a situation in which something painful, harmful, or very unpleasant happens to you. □ [V n] The peace process has suffered a serious blow now. □ [V n] Romania suffered another setback in its efforts to obtain financial support for its reforms.