verb A2 Elementary Common

swallow

SWOL-oh

Swallow (verb) means to move food or drink from the mouth down into the stomach. Example: “He took a large bite and swallowed before speaking.”

verb

To move food or drink from the mouth down into the stomach.

"He took a large bite and swallowed before speaking."

To accept or believe something readily, often too readily.

"I find it hard to swallow his excuse this time."

To put up with something unpleasant without complaining or retaliating.

"She swallowed her pride and apologised first."

noun

A small, fast-flying migratory bird with a forked tail that catches insects in flight.

"Swallows return to the same barn every spring."

How to use swallow

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo take food down your throat into your stomach — or figuratively, to accept or endure something without objecting.

Common mistake

The bird sense (a swallow) is unrelated in modern feel from the verb, though they share the same word.

Common pairings

swallow your pride swallow a story hard to swallow

Word forms

swallowed past tense, swallows plural, swallows plural, Swallows plural, swallows singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He took a large bite and _____ before speaking.

Etymology

From Old English swelgan, "to swallow, devour."

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

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gulp ingest consume down gobble guzzle

Related words

up down along land eat drink pop sad

Rhymes for swallow

allow wallow hallow fallow shallow marshmallow

See all rhymes for swallow →

Frequently asked questions

What does “swallow” mean?

The word “swallow” means to move food or drink from the mouth down into the stomach. In plain terms, to take food down your throat into your stomach — or figuratively, to accept or endure something without objecting.

How do you pronounce “swallow”?

“Swallow” is pronounced SWOL-oh (/ˈswɑ.loʊ/ in IPA).

How do you use “swallow” in a sentence?

Here is “swallow” used in a sentence: “He took a large bite and swallowed before speaking.”

What part of speech is “swallow”?

Depending on how it is used, “swallow” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “swallow” come from?

The word “swallow” comes from Old English. From Old English swelgan, "to swallow, devour.".

Is “swallow” a common word?

“Swallow” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

How many meanings does “swallow” have?

“Swallow” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to move food or drink from the mouth down into the stomach.

What is the difference between the two main meanings of "swallow"?

"Swallow" can be a verb meaning to move food or drink down into the stomach, or a noun naming a small, fast-flying migratory bird with a forked tail. The two senses are unrelated in meaning despite sharing the same spelling.

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