Bingeing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Involving the rapid and excessive indulgence in various activities, such as eating, drinking, or consuming media, typically without restraint
2. Characterized by engaging in a succession of excessive consumption, where one often partakes in numerous episodes of an activity over a brief time
3. Involving the act of indulging excessively in a particular behavior, like eating or watching shows, typically in a short period of time

Etymology: "Bingeing" is the -ing form of "binge," and the verb began as a regional English dialect word meaning to soak wood until it swelled. In Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, a leaky wooden barrel or tub could be "binged" by filling it with water or plunging it in, so that the staves swelled and sealed the gaps. The same word also meant to drink deeply and to steep or drench things, so the sense of taking in more than enough was present from the start. Its ultimate origin is unclear. It may trace back to an Old English verb meaning "to press," possibly linked to a word meaning "to bang," and it may be related to older German dialect verbs for forcing or raising something. Dialect words for wood, such as "beam," have also been suggested as a possible source, since the swelling of wood by soaking seems to tie the two senses together, but this connection remains uncertain.

Synonyms: overindulging, excess, gluttony

Antonyms: abstinence, moderation, self-control