📒 to make food, drink, etc. go down your throat into your stomach
- swallow (something) Always chew food well before swallowing it.
- I had a sore throat and it hurt to swallow.
- swallow something + adj. The pills should be swallowed whole.
📒 to move the muscles of your throat as if you were swallowing something, especially because you are nervous
- She swallowed hard and told him the bad news.
- He swallowed back the lump in his throat.
- She swallowed convulsively, determined not to cry.
📒 to take somebody/something in or completely cover them/it so that they/it cannot be seen or exist separately any longer
- swallow somebody/something I watched her walk down the road until she was swallowed by the darkness.
- swallow somebody/something up Large areas of countryside have been swallowed up by towns.
📒 to use up something completely, especially an amount of money
- Most of my salary gets swallowed (up) by the rent and bills.
📒 to accept that something is true; to believe something
- swallow something I found her excuse very hard to swallow.
- swallow something + adj. He told her a pack of lies, but she swallowed it whole.
📒 to hide your feelings
- to swallow your doubts
- You're going to have to swallow your pride and ask for your job back.
📒 to accept offensive remarks, criticisms, etc. without complaining or protesting
- I was surprised that he just sat there and swallowed all their remarks.
📒 a fact or an event that is unpleasant and difficult to accept
- The election defeat was a bitter pill for the party to swallow.
📒 very pleased with yourself
- She looked like a cat that’s swallowed the canary. She was almost purring with pleasure.