Swallowed Swallow I Hard Swallowing Throat Told Food

• always chew food well before swallowing it.
• i had a sore throat and it hurt to swallow.
• the pills should be swallowed whole.
• she swallowed hard and told him the bad news.

swallow

1. to make food, drink, etc. go down your throat into your stomach
• Always chew food well before swallowing it.
• I had a sore throat and it hurt to swallow.
• The pills should be swallowed whole.
2. 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.
3. to take somebody/something in or completely cover it so that they cannot be seen or no longer exist separately
• I watched her walk down the road until she was swallowed by the darkness.
• Large areas of countryside have been swallowed up by towns.
4. to use up something completely, especially an amount of money
• Most of my salary gets swallowed (up) by the rent and bills.
5. to accept that something is true; to believe something
• I found her excuse very hard to swallow.
• He told her a pack of lies, but she swallowed it whole.
6. to hide your feelings
• to swallow your doubts
• You're going to have to swallow your pride and ask for your job back.
7. to accept insults, criticisms, etc. without complaining or protesting
• I was surprised that he just sat there and swallowed all their remarks.
8. a fact or an event that is unpleasant and difficult to accept
• The election defeat was a bitter pill for the party to swallow.

Extra Examples

• He swallowed back the lump in his throat.
• He told her a pack of lies but she swallowed it whole.
• I found her excuse very hard to swallow.
• Liquid food may be more easily swallowed.
• Most snakes swallow their prey whole.
• She accidentally swallowed a glass bead.
• She had to swallow hard before she could speak.
• She swallowed convulsively, determined not to cry.
• She swallowed down her breakfast in a hurry.

Verb Forms

• present simple I / you / we / they swallow
• he / she / it swallows
• past simple swallowed
• past participle swallowed
• -ing form swallowing

Word Origin

• verb Old English swelgan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zwelgen and German schwelgen.