swallow
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to take into the stomach by drawing through the throat and esophagus with a voluntary muscular action, as food, drink, or other substances.
-
to take in so as to envelop; withdraw from sight; assimilate or absorb.
He was swallowed by the crowd.
-
to accept without question or suspicion; believe; trust.
- Antonyms:
- discredit, disbelieve
-
to accept without opposition; put up with.
to swallow an insult.
-
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.
-
to take back; retract.
to swallow one's words.
-
to enunciate poorly; mutter.
He swallowed his words.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
the act or an instance of swallowing.
-
a quantity swallowed at one time; a mouthful.
Take one swallow of brandy.
-
capacity for swallowing.
-
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
-
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.
-
any of several unrelated, swallowlike birds, as the chimney swift.
verb
-
to pass (food, drink, etc) through the mouth to the stomach by means of the muscular action of the oesophagus
-
(often foll by up) to engulf or destroy as if by ingestion
Nazi Germany swallowed up several small countries
-
informal to believe gullibly
he will never swallow such an excuse
-
to refrain from uttering or manifesting
to swallow one's disappointment
-
to endure without retaliation
-
to enunciate (words, etc) indistinctly; mutter
-
(often foll by down) to eat or drink reluctantly
-
(intr) to perform or simulate the act of swallowing, as in gulping
-
to retract a statement, argument, etc, often in humiliating circumstances
noun
noun
-
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
-
See fairy swallow
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
swallowernoun
-
swallow-likeadjective
-
swallowableadjective
-
unswallowableadjective
-
unswallowedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
swallowsimple
-
swallowssimple
-
have swallowedperfect
-
has swallowedperfect
-
am swallowingprogressive
-
are swallowingprogressive
-
is swallowingprogressive
-
have been swallowingperfect progressive
-
has been swallowingperfect progressive
Past
-
swallowedsimple
-
had swallowedperfect
-
was swallowingprogressive
-
were swallowingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
It’s a lot to swallow, so why not cut to the sea chase?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
The fact that he will go down now in history as Labour's shortest-serving prime minister will be a bitter pill for him to swallow.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
With fuel trading hands at around $8 per liter on the black market, even a short taxi ride can swallow most of a civil servant's wages.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
If you are not careful, it will swallow you whole.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
The surrounding chunks of the fallen cedar beams looked like the maw of the desert, rising to swallow up the dead city—and reminded me of Rasseem’s teeth.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Four-year-old Juni Wahab was entranced by the sight of the swallows and cormorants swooping low overhead and the rushing twists of water.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Every bit counts when health insurance swallows up so much of the budget.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
"In most of those cases, what happens is the supermarket swallows those losses. And that impacts their margins," she says.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
In this investigation, scientists measured concentrations of these chemicals in the tissues and diet of tree swallows, a migratory bird found throughout North America.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2025
He was starting to really like those birds, especially after learning what the barn swallows symbolized.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
He tried calling the neighbor he had last seen before being swallowed by the earth, "but nothing."
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
But he was dry and there was no evidence he had swallowed water.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Most recently, the Chinese leader’s purge has even swallowed the network of the man who once ran it: Wang Qishan, the enforcer Xi trusted to hunt “tigers”—Beijing’s term for high-ranking officials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Natural chewing, abrasive foods, or even swallowed grit can produce similar patterns.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026
His stomach was empty, but it was churning, too, from fear and the bitter water he had swallowed in the black pool.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
The laryngeal nerve also connects the brain and larynx, helping control speech and swallowing.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Workers at the plant say they are long overdue for significant raises after swallowing a roughly 50% pay cut in 2008 to keep the plant running.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
He thinks both were overlooked brands that made them more attainable for the Chinese companies, as opposed to swallowing a bigger U.S. consumer company.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
It “often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing, or slurred speech,” the clinic said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
“The gruel we have been swallowing has been almost plain water these last few days.”
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
