verb

swallow

SWOL-oh

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

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

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Can you complete this real example?

He took a large bite and _____ before speaking.

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

allow wallow hallow fallow shallow marshmallow