swallow

swallow — 動詞

1. to move food, liquid, or a pill from the mouth down the throat and into the stom

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

吞嚥；吞下

將食物或液體從口腔送入胃裡

to move food, liquid, or a pill from the mouth down the throat and into the stomach by tightening the throat muscles

例句

Bao took a large bite of bread and struggled to swallow it.

Bao 咬了一大口麵包，很費力才吞下去。

transitive: swallow + object (food)

The medicine was so bitter that Jiwoo could barely swallow the liquid.

Jiwoo 覺得藥太苦了，幾乎無法吞下藥水。

同義詞
  • gulp

    suggests swallowing quickly or in large amounts

  • down

    informal, often used with drinks ('down a beer')

反義詞
  • spit out

    to force something out of the mouth instead of swallowing it

文法句型

swallow + object (food/drink/pill)

swallow (intransitive, no object)

用法筆記

The intransitive use ('I can't swallow') is common in medical or health contexts.

常見錯誤

❌He swallowed down the food.
✅He swallowed the food.
💡'swallow' already includes the downward movement; 'down' is redundant.

2. to tighten the muscles of the throat as if trying to move something down, often

2.動詞不及物B1
釋義

吞口水

因緊張或害怕而做出吞嚥動作

to tighten the muscles of the throat as if trying to move something down, often because a person feels anxious, scared, or is about to speak

例句

Walid swallowed hard before stepping onto the stage to give his speech.

Walid 在上台演講前，用力吞了一下口水。

collocation: swallow hard (nervous gesture)

Elena swallowed nervously as the manager called her name during the meeting.

經理在會議上叫到 Elena 的名字時，她緊張地吞了一下口水。

同義詞
  • gulp

    more informal, describes a loud or visible swallowing from nerves

文法句型

swallow (no object, often with adverb: swallow nervously/hard)

用法筆記

This sense is always intransitive — nothing is actually being moved into the stomach. Commonly paired with adverbs: 'swallow hard' or 'swallow nervously'.

常見錯誤

❌He swallowed his drink nervously' (meaning the nervous gesture).
✅He swallowed nervously.
💡When describing the nervous gesture, do not add an object.

3. to completely cover, absorb, or take something into itself so that the thing is

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

吞噬；吞沒

完全覆蓋或吸收使之消失

to completely cover, absorb, or take something into itself so that the thing is no longer visible or separate — for example, a big company taking over a small one, or fog hiding a building

例句

The fog swallowed the lighthouse light and made it invisible from the shore.

濃霧吞噬了燈塔的光芒，從岸邊完全看不見燈塔了。

transitive: fog + swallow + object

A large cloud of smoke from the explosion swallowed the building entirely.

爆炸產生的巨大濃煙將整棟建築完全吞沒。

同義詞
  • engulf

    more dramatic, suggests being completely surrounded or covered

  • absorb

    less visual, more about integration than physical coverage

  • envelop

    suggests being wrapped or covered on all sides

反義詞

文法句型

swallow + object (a physical thing)

swallow up + object

用法筆記

Frequently used as the phrasal verb 'swallow up'. The subject is typically something large, powerful, or all-consuming (darkness, a crowd, a company).

常見錯誤

❌The darkness swallowed him.' (context unclear — missing 'up' for this sense).
✅The darkness swallowed him up.
💡The phrasal form 'swallow up' is more natural for this meaning of complete absorption.

4. to use up a large amount of something valuable, especially money, time, or resou

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

耗盡；吞噬

消耗大量金錢或資源

to use up a large amount of something valuable, especially money, time, or resources, so that little or nothing is left

例句

The cost of repairing the old house swallowed most of their savings.

修繕老房子的費用幾乎耗盡了他們大部分的積蓄。

subject is a cost/expense; object is money/savings

Rent and utility bills swallowed half of Vivek's salary each month.

每個月的房租和水電費就吞噬了 Vivek 一半的薪水。

同義詞
  • consume

    neutral term for using up resources

  • devour

    more dramatic, suggests very rapid consumption

  • eat up

    informal, especially for time or money

反義詞
  • save

    to keep money rather than spend it

文法句型

swallow + money/savings/resources

swallow up + percentage/amount

用法筆記

Object is usually an amount of money or a resource. The phrasal form 'swallow up' emphasizes complete consumption. Distinguish from sense 3 (ENGULF & ABSORB) — sense 3 is about physical engulfment or corporate takeover, while this sense specifically targets financial/resources.

5. to believe a statement or claim someone makes without questioning whether it is

5.動詞及物B2
釋義

全盤接受

不經查證就相信他人的說法

to believe a statement or claim someone makes without questioning whether it is really true — for example, taking a salesperson's promises at face value

例句

Marco swallowed every story the salesman told him without asking a single question.

Marco 全盤接受了業務員告訴他的每一個說法，連一個問題都沒問。

swallow + story/claim (uncritical acceptance)

The public did not swallow the government's explanation for the sudden tax increase.

大眾並不相信政府對突然加稅所做的解釋。

negative: did not swallow = refused to believe

同義詞
  • accept

    more neutral; does not imply lack of critical thought

  • buy

    informal, same meaning ('I don't buy that excuse')

  • believe

    general term; 'swallow' adds the idea of believing too easily

反義詞
  • question

    to express doubt about a claim

  • reject

    to refuse to accept a claim

文法句型

swallow + claim/excuse/story

swallow + that-clause

用法筆記

This sense is distinct from the phrasal 'swallow [one's] pride' or 'swallow an insult' — which are about enduring something unpleasant. This sense specifically describes believing information without critical thought. Often used in negative constructions ('don't swallow that').

常見錯誤

❌I swallowed his rude comment.' (confusing with 'endure' sense).
✅I swallowed his story about being late.
💡Use this sense for accepting claims as true, not for enduring mistreatment.

6. to keep a strong feeling from being shown or expressed to other people — for exa

6.動詞及物B2
釋義

壓抑；隱忍

不表達或隱藏自己的情緒（如憤怒、驕傲）

to keep a strong feeling from being shown or expressed to other people — for example, hiding anger when you want to shout, or hiding disappointment when you lose

例句

Elena swallowed her anger and spoke calmly to the customer who had shouted at her.

Elena 壓抑住怒氣，冷靜地對那位對她大吼的顧客說話。

swallow + one's + emotion (anger)

Jiwoo swallowed her disappointment and congratulated the winner with a smile.

Jiwoo 忍住失望，帶著微笑向冠軍道賀。

同義詞
  • suppress

    more formal, conscious effort to stop a feeling from showing

  • repress

    more psychological, often subconscious

  • stifle

    suggests actively stopping an emotion or reaction

反義詞
  • express

    to show a feeling openly

  • vent

    to release strong emotions

文法句型

swallow + emotion (anger/pride/disappointment)

swallow + one's + emotion

用法筆記

Object is almost always an emotion — commonly 'anger', 'pride', 'disappointment', 'fear', 'tears'. 'Swallow one's pride' is a very common fixed expression meaning to accept doing something humiliating.

常見錯誤

❌She swallowed her food when she was angry.' (confusing literal and emotional sense).
✅She swallowed her anger and stayed quiet.
💡For the emotional sense, the object must be a feeling, not food.

7. to admit that something you said earlier was wrong and that you no longer stand

7.動詞及物C1
釋義

收回言論

承認先前的說法錯誤

to admit that something you said earlier was wrong and that you no longer stand by that statement.

例句

The newspaper had to swallow its earlier claim after the reporter's source was proven unreliable.

那家報社在證實記者的消息來源不可靠後，不得不收回先前的說法。

swallow + claim/statement (retract a published claim)

Bao swallowed his criticism once he saw the latest data from the research team.

Bao 在看到研究團隊的最新數據後，收回了他的批評。

同義詞
  • retract

    more formal; used in official or legal contexts

  • withdraw

    suggests a deliberate, often formal removal of a statement

  • take back

    more informal and conversational than 'retract'

反義詞
  • maintain

    to continue asserting something despite evidence against it

  • insist

    to keep stating something firmly, refusing to withdraw it

文法句型

swallow + object phrase (statement/claim/testimony/words)

用法筆記

The fixed phrase 'swallow one's words' is the most common form of this sense. The object is almost always a claim, statement, or criticism that the speaker previously made.

常見錯誤

❌He swallowed his food and meant to take back his comment.
✅He swallowed his words and admitted he was wrong.
💡'swallow food' is a physical action; 'swallow one's words' is the figurative expression for retracting a statement.

8. to speak words so quietly or unclearly that other people cannot hear or understa

8.動詞及物B2
釋義

含糊地說

說話不清楚，讓人聽不懂

to speak words so quietly or unclearly that other people cannot hear or understand them properly.

例句

Rachid swallowed his words during the job interview, so the panel asked him to repeat.

Rachid 在面試時說話含糊不清，面試官請他再說一次。

swallow + words (mumble from nervousness)

The shy boy swallowed his answer when the teacher called on him in class.

那個害羞的男孩在課堂上被老師點名時，回答得含糊不清。

同義詞
  • mumble

    more common and neutral; no figurative layer

  • mutter

    suggests speaking quietly in annoyance or dissatisfaction

  • slur

    suggests words run together, often from tiredness or alcohol

反義詞
  • enunciate

    to speak each word clearly and distinctly

  • articulate

    to express thoughts clearly in speech

文法句型

swallow + object (words/answer/greeting/name)

用法筆記

The object is always speech-related (words, answer, name, greeting). This sense frequently appears with reasons for the unclear speech — nervousness, shyness, tiredness, or reluctance.

常見錯誤

❌He swallowed the news to his mother.
✅He swallowed his words when speaking to his mother.
💡this sense takes a speech-related object, not a recipient.

9. to endure rude or insulting treatment without complaining or defending yourself.

9.動詞及物B2
釋義

忍受；吞忍

不反抗地接受侮辱或批評

to endure rude or insulting treatment without complaining or defending yourself.

例句

Jiwoo swallowed her manager's harsh feedback during the meeting and did not defend herself.

Jiwoo 在會議上忍下了經理嚴厲的批評，沒有為自己辯護。

swallow + criticism/feedback (endure without reacting)

The team had to swallow a disappointing loss in the final round of the competition.

該團隊在比賽最後一輪不得不吞下一場令人失望的敗仗。

同義詞
  • endure

    more neutral and less figurative; focuses on lasting through hardship

  • bear

    suggests carrying a burden with patience

  • tolerate

    implies allowing something unpleasant to continue without stopping it

  • stomach

    informal; very close in meaning to 'swallow', often used in negative: 'I couldn't stomach it'

反義詞
  • reject

    to refuse to accept an insult or unfair treatment

  • protest

    to express strong disagreement publicly

  • fight back

    to defend yourself against an attack or criticism

文法句型

swallow + object (insult/criticism/defeat/pride)

用法筆記

Common objects are insults, criticism, defeats, and proud emotions. 'Swallow one's pride' is a fixed collocation meaning to accept a situation that damages your dignity. Distinguish from sense 5 (accept without question), where the object is information or a claim — here the object is always something unpleasant or offensive.

常見錯誤

❌I swallowed the bad news about the flight delay.
✅I accepted the bad news about the flight delay.
💡'swallow' in this sense implies mistreatment or offense from others, not neutral disappointing information.
❌She swallowed her excitement when she saw the gift.
✅She suppressed her excitement when she saw the gift.
💡hiding an emotion fits sense 6, not sense 9.

swallow — 名詞