swallow
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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swallows,
present (3rd person singular)
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swallowed,
past participle, past
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swallowing
present participle
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to take into the stomach by drawing through the throat and esophagus with a voluntary muscular action, as food, drink, or other substances.
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to take in so as to envelop; withdraw from sight; assimilate or absorb.
He was swallowed by the crowd.
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to accept without question or suspicion; believe; trust.
- Antonyms:
- discredit, disbelieve
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to accept without opposition; put up with.
to swallow an insult.
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to accept for lack of an alternative.
Consumers will have to swallow new price hikes.
-
to suppress (emotion, a laugh, a sob, etc.) as if by drawing it down one's throat.
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to take back; retract.
to swallow one's words.
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to enunciate poorly; mutter.
He swallowed his words.
verb (used without object)
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swallows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
swallowed,
past participle, past
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swallowing
present participle
noun
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the act or an instance of swallowing.
-
a quantity swallowed at one time; a mouthful.
Take one swallow of brandy.
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capacity for swallowing.
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Also called crown, throat. Nautical, Machinery. the space in a block, between the groove of the sheave and the shell, through which the rope runs.
noun
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any of numerous small, long-winged passerine birds of the family Hirundinidae, noted for their swift, graceful flight and for the extent and regularity of their migrations.
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any of several unrelated, swallowlike birds, as the chimney swift.
verb
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to pass (food, drink, etc) through the mouth to the stomach by means of the muscular action of the oesophagus
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(often foll by up) to engulf or destroy as if by ingestion
Nazi Germany swallowed up several small countries
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informal to believe gullibly
he will never swallow such an excuse
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to refrain from uttering or manifesting
to swallow one's disappointment
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to endure without retaliation
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to enunciate (words, etc) indistinctly; mutter
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(often foll by down) to eat or drink reluctantly
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(intr) to perform or simulate the act of swallowing, as in gulping
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to retract a statement, argument, etc, often in humiliating circumstances
noun
noun
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any passerine songbird of the family Hirundinidae, esp Hirundo rustica ( common or barn swallow ), having long pointed wings, a forked tail, short legs, and a rapid flight
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See fairy swallow
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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swallowernoun
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swallow-likeadjective
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swallowableadjective
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unswallowableadjective
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unswallowedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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swallowsimple
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swallowssimple
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have swallowedperfect
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has swallowedperfect
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am swallowingprogressive
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are swallowingprogressive
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is swallowingprogressive
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have been swallowingperfect progressive
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has been swallowingperfect progressive
Past
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swallowedsimple
-
had swallowedperfect
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was swallowingprogressive
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were swallowingprogressive
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had been swallowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of swallow1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb swolwen, swalwen, Old English swelgan; cognate with German schwelgen; akin to Old Norse svelgja; Middle English noun swolwe, swoluh, Old English geswelgh “throat, abyss, whirlpool”; akin to Middle Low German swelch, Old High German swelgo “glutton,” Old Norse svelgr “swirl, whirlpool; devourer”
Origin of swallow2
First recorded before 900; Middle English swal(e)we, Old English sweal(e)we; cognate with German Schwalbe, Old Norse svala
Explanation
When you swallow food or liquid is pushed from your mouth to the esophagus. Chew your food well before you swallow it. As a verb, swallow means "to enclose or envelop completely," like quicksand that swallows everything that falls into it. Swallow can also mean "to stop from expressing," like when you swallow your pride and ask for help. The noun swallow describes a gulp, though you don't always do it for digestion; sometimes a few swallows of air help you keep from crying. A swallow is also a type of small songbird.
Vocabulary lists containing swallow
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Show up to a group trip prepared to swallow a few expenses here and there, instead of holding everyone to the penny.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
But even I still get nervous sometimes when asking for a deal, feeling like I have to physically swallow my nerves just to spit the words out.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
“It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I have to do it,” Gonzalez said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
For locals who want, or need, a car, the high prices are getting tough to swallow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
I swallow the lump that forms in my throat.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
In “Rare Bird” a woman in 18th-century England finds pleasure in the company of a new friend, who helps her test a claim from the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus that swallows hibernate underwater.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
It takes place within an open-air arena which not only resembles a giant bird nest but is also actually being used as one - swallows moved into the rafters within days of its completion.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Or that swallows don’t come in the numbers they used to because they have fewer and fewer places to build nests.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
As Big Tech swallows the world, the long-standing narrative about the future of streaming goes something like this:
From Slate ● Dec. 6, 2025
“They’re all barn swallows, except for one. One is a parrot,” Grandpop answered, easing back down into his chair.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Evenings can be swallowed up by a smorgasbord of networking soirees across town, especially in September when eurocrats and lobbyists alike land back from summer break.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Days of intense waves fueled by Hurricane Marie far away in the Pacific left several sections of the boardwalk completely destroyed after massive swells swallowed protective sand berms and slammed through the seawall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
You don’t want your precious donations to be swallowed up by administrative fees. Guidestar.org, Charitynavigator.org and Give.org, which is affiliated with the Better Business Bureau, all aim to help donors give wisely.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Footage showed buildings and people at Gyirong Port swallowed by the wave in a matter of seconds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
I swallowed a couple of times and tried hard to control my voice.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Traffic cones are set back from the crater, which appears to be perilously close to swallowing the house's double garage.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
The latest eclipse was my third time swallowing the expense and impracticality of following them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Thinking out loud and swallowing it back, basically.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
The symptoms can start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Natalie cried again, swallowing another mouthful of the foul water.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
