to ram down
1
7.9
- phrasal verb
- /ræm daʊn/
- Informal
:
imponer
- Many people feel that politicians try to ram down their throats unpopular policies that they did not support.
- rammed down their throats
Examples
-
The management constantly rammed down the new rules on employees, leaving them frustrated and overwhelmed.
-
This way it looks like the powers that be are trying to ram it down their throats, as in the ND situation.
Blog text (25) -
The intolerant left rams down our throats what we must accept or else.
Blog text (1) -
So what do you make of this phrase that we've all been, we've had rammed down our throats?
-
On top of his other problems, Pete resented having education rammed down his throat on Saturdays, when he would rather have been up in his room playing Sanitarium or Riven on his Mac.
Fiction book (1999) -
Yet they want to ram healthcare down the throats of hard-working Americans, to fund the "not so hard-working" people, including illegal occupants, tax our children to death, destroy the best parts of our healthcare system, and put everyone on a system similar to workers' comp.
Blog text (25) -
She felt that the teacher was attempting to ram down strict ideas about writing, ignoring the students' creativity.
Synonyms
41
6.7
To force something on someone, often against their will
13
5.7
To give someone many questions or requests at the same time
4
5.1
To force an idea or action on someone
2
9.1
Force someone to accept an idea they do not want
2
3.9
To make someone remember something by repeating it many times
2
7.0
To make someone accept ideas they do not want
1
8.9
Force someone to accept ideas or opinions without their choice
1
9.7
To force someone to do something by threats or strong pressure
1
4.6
Repeat something many times so a person remembers it
1
7.2
To train someone by repeating something until they learn it
1
8.3
Make someone accept ideas or opinions they do not want by pressuring them
How Insistent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal verb 'ram' (to strike violently) combined with 'down' yields a clear image of forceful imposition, so a learner can plausibly infer the metaphorical meaning of forcing ideas on someone. However, the shift from physical violence to imposing opinions is a figurative extension and the particle use is not fully predictable, so a B1 learner who has not seen the phrase before may not reliably derive the exact sense.
Etymology
Ram down for ideas uses the same strong image: a ram hitting a door until it gives in, so the door is forced open. That's why when people ram down rules or beliefs, they press them on others again and again until others accept them, meaning 'to force something, especially ideas or information, on someone against their will'.