unswallowed

unswallowed

A child stares at the unswallowed pill in his hand.

Definition

Adjective: "unswallowed" describes something that has not been taken into the stomach through the throat; not ingested or consumed by swallowing. It can also refer figuratively to something that has not been accepted, endured, or believed.

Usage Examples
  • Literal (food): (The bread was not swallowed; it remained uneaten.)
  • Figurative (endurance): (Her pride was not "swallowed" or suppressed.)
  • Figurative (belief): (The lie was not believed or accepted.)
Advanced Usage
  • "unswallowed anger": anger that is not suppressed or controlled.
    • He spoke with unswallowed anger, his voice trembling. (His anger was not kept inside; it was expressed openly.)
  • "unswallowed words": words that are not retracted or taken back.
    • His unswallowed insults caused a lasting rift. (The insults were not withdrawn or apologized for.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Unswallowable (adj): impossible to swallow.
    • The pill was unswallowable due to its size. (The pill could not be swallowed.)
  • Unswallowed (adj): the negative prefix "un-" added to "swallowed" (past participle of "swallow").
Synonyms
  • Uningested: not taken into the body through the mouth.
  • Unconsumed: not eaten or drunk.
  • Unaccepted: not believed or endured (figurative use).
Phrasal Verbs
  • Swallow up: to consume or absorb completely.
    • The unswallowed funds were returned to the budget. (The funds were not consumed or absorbed.)
  • Swallow down: to force something down the throat.
    • He tried to swallow down the unswallowed medicine. (He attempted to ingest the medicine that remained.)
Related Idioms
  • A bitter pill to swallow: something unpleasant that must be accepted.
    • The news was a bitter pill, unswallowed for days. (The unpleasant news was not accepted.)
  • Swallow one's pride: to accept humiliation or defeat.
    • He left his pride unswallowed, refusing to apologize. (He did not suppress his pride.)