Whether it be food or Netflix—everyone has excessively indulged in something. But when you’re on a binge, are you bingeing or binging? What’s the correct way to spell this word? In reality, both spellings are correct, but some people prefer to use one over the other.
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What Is Binging?
Binge, a noun, is when you partake in too much of something. For example, for some people, the perfect binge can be excessive eating of junk food or watching too many episodes of their favorite TV show.
When you drop the letter E and add the suffix -ing, binge becomes “binging” (ing form) and thus a verb (present participle). For instance, If your friend is eating a lot of food, you might say that they are binging.
“Binging” can also be a gerund form, which, in this case, turns into a noun. For instance, “Binging on chocolate can lead to health problems.”
Fun Fact: The word “binge” has a fascinating origin. In the 19th century, this word was used to describe the process of soaking a wooden vessel. This backstory makes sense because when you binge on something, you indulge yourself in it completely—almost like you’re soaking yourself in an excessive amount of that thing.
Examples
- I stayed up late last night binging on The X Files, and now I can barely stay awake.
- I have a serious problem with binging when I’m sad—I eat to distract myself.
- After Jessica spent her whole summer binging fine literature, she adopted a fancier way of speaking.
- She said the shopping spree was a way to treat herself, but to me, it seemed like excessive binging.
- Binging is not a healthy habit. If you want to maintain balance and harmony, it’s best to consume everything in moderation.
- I cringe at the idea that you’re binging on pizza every weekend!
- Binging on junk food won’t help your low self-esteem.
- The teenager was told that he shouldn’t be binging on his medication.
- Binging ice cream and pizza and watching Netflix are my favorites!
- Thanks for the book recommendation—I ended up binging the whole series in one month.
- I feel happy when I’m binging on delicious food, but later on, my stomach hurts.
- Today, I feel like I’m binging on happiness because I’m doing all my favorite things with all my favorite people!
What Is Bingeing?
Wondering what is the meaning of binge? Good news: if you want to know what bingeing is, you can reread the previous section—because it has the exact same meaning as “binging.”
It might be confusing at first, but “binging” and “bingeing” share the same definition. They also share other key similarities, such as their root word and the fact that they can be either verbs or gerunds.
Which Spelling Is Correct?
Whether you prefer to use bingeing or binging, both versions of this word are spelled correctly. If you’d like to stick with the most popular version, “bingeing” has been the preferred spelling since the 1980s, according to Google Ngram Viewer.
However, a grammar rule (the drop E rule) suggests that if a verb ends in the letter “e,” you should drop the “e” when adding “ing” to the end of the word.
For example, bake becomes baking, smoke becomes smoking, and so on. If we want to follow this rule consistently, then “binging” may be the better option.
When and How to Use Bingeing or Binging?
Now you know that “binging” and “bingeing” are both accepted spellings, how should you go about using these words in real conversations and writing?
First of all, the word “binging” falls a bit more on the casual side of the language spectrum. This is because many people use the word to describe their guilty pleasure hobbies, such as watching several episodes of TV at once or indulging in lots of food.
Another question that many people have about the word binging is if it can be used for situations other than those dealing with food. The answer is yes. As you’ve seen from some of the example sentences in this article, binging is commonly used to describe consuming content like books and media.
So, what’s the English pronunciation of “binging” or “bingeing?” The first letter, G, after the letter N, has a soft g sound.
However, before taking the plunge on using this word, it’s important to know one key thing about its history.
Binging is perhaps most well-known for being part of the phrase “binging and purging.” This phrase refers to a cycle that some people who suffer from eating disorders go through. It involves eating an excess of food and then forcing the body to get rid of that food.
Because this word is heavily associated with this serious phrase, it’s important to give extra consideration when using the word “binging” to ensure that your statement is not offensive.
Final Thoughts
Many people feel confused when they try to decide between bingeing or binging. If you’ve ever worried about this distinction, then you may be happy to learn that both variations are accepted as the correct spelling of the word!
Some people prefer bingeing, and data shows that this spelling has been more popular in recent decades. However, other people stick with binging because this spelling adheres to a common rule of the English language. Whichever spelling you choose, don’t forget that binging means excessive indulgence.
