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Glite Dictionary
to suck it

to suck it

26 9.9
To tell someone to accept bad news or defeat without complaining
  • phrasal verb
  • /sʌk ɪt/
  • Offensive
translation icon : joderse
  • But you got to suck it up and tough it out and hang in there.

And as soon as he walked away, full suck it sign giving them suck it.

Examples

  • It's not gratifying, so you have to suck it up and get through that.

  • You have to suck it up and sit down and film.

  • I think that that whole culture will suck it up, be a man and go through it.

  • We're just gonna have to suck it up for a couple months.

    Fun with Dick and Jane (2005)

  • Sometimes, we just need to suck it up and deal.

    Blog text (16)

  • He'll be back, I know, but for now we just have to suck it up and win this series without him.

    Blog text (15)

  • Suck it up and pay up, fellas.

    The Big Short (2015)

  • And that's a big issue because at some point you have to grow up, suck it up and say it's on me.

  • So it's time to suck it up and deal with the problems instead of prolonging them.

    Blog text (8)

  • Sometimes, you just have to suck it up and accept that things won't go your way.

Synonyms

to suck it up
vsto suck it
  • Informal
81 8.8

Accept a difficult situation and continue without complaining

is a rude command to accept criticism or defeat without protest
to take it on the chin
vsto suck it
  • Informal
7 8.2

Accept failure or criticism bravely without complaining

is more of a taunting command than a brave personal response
to grin and bear it
vsto suck it
  • Informal
5 6.8

To accept an unpleasant situation without complaining

is used as a vulgar command rather than describing quiet endurance
to lump it
vsto suck it
  • UK
3 8.8

Accept something unpleasant without complaining

is a blunt, insulting order to accept an unpleasant outcome
put that in your pipe and smoke it
vsto suck it
  • Informal
1 9.9

Accept this fact even if you do not like it

is a cruder insult commanding acceptance of criticism or defeat
to suck a lemon
vsto suck it
  • Informal
9.9

To accept and deal with an unpleasant situation without complaining

is a harsh, taunting instruction to accept criticism without complaint
to swallow the leek
vsto suck it
  • Archaic
9.9

To accept something unpleasant during talks to avoid bigger problems

is a rude general command to accept criticism rather than a negotiation concession

Antonyms

to complain
∞ 1.0

To say you are unhappy about something and want it changed

whine
  • Informal
28 3.0

A high, annoying complaint

Surface Forms

suck it infinitive
sucked it past
sucked it past participle
sucking it present participle
sucks it third person singular

Morphology

suck + it

This is a slang, imperative taunt whose sense 'accept defeat/stop complaining' is idiomatic and not predictable from the literal meanings of 'suck' and the pronoun 'it'. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not reliably infer this pragmatic, slang meaning—the expression is language-specific and non-compositional.

Etymology

Suck it may come from a shorter, sharper form of suck it up, which paints the picture of putting a bitter taste in your mouth and swallowing it. So telling someone 'suck it' is like telling them to 'accept a bad thing without complaining'.