swill down
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb: - To drink a large amount of a liquid, especially an alcoholic drink, quickly or greedily.
Usage
This phrasal verb is informal and often carries a negative connotation, suggesting a lack of restraint or refinement in drinking. It is typically used with direct objects referring to the liquid being consumed.
Examples
- After the long match, the players swilled down several bottles of water.
- He swilled down his beer and immediately ordered another.
- They spent the evening swilling down cheap wine.
Advanced Usage
- The verb can sometimes be used figuratively to describe consuming any substance in large, rapid quantities, though this is less common.
- The engine seemed to swill down gasoline.
Variants and Related Words
- Swill (verb): To drink greedily or in large quantities. Can also mean to rinse or wash out.
- He swilled the mouthwash around his teeth.
- Guzzle (verb): To eat or drink something greedily. A close synonym.
- Down (verb, informal): To drink something, especially quickly or all at once.
- He downed his coffee in one gulp.
Synonyms
- Guzzle
- Gulp down
- Knock back (informal, especially for alcohol)
- Quaff (more literary/archaic)
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Wash down: To drink something after eating food, or to help swallow food.
- He washed down the sandwich with a glass of milk. (This implies accompaniment, not necessarily the rapid, large quantity of "swill down").
Related Idioms
- To drink like a fish: To drink alcohol heavily and frequently. This idiom describes a habitual behavior, while "swill down" focuses on the action of a single instance of greedy drinking.
Verb
- drink large quantities of (liquid, especially alcoholic drink)