to belt down
1
8.5
- phrasal verb
- UK
- During the party, he decided to belt down his drink in one gulp.
Examples
-
They gathered around the bar and belted down their shots before heading out.
-
He looks, then belts down his drink.
Fiction book (1992) -
After a long day, she belted down a cold beer to relax.
Synonyms
161
5.4
Eat or drink something quickly and completely
29
5.0
To drink something quickly in large gulps
12
7.7
To drink or eat something very quickly, often without pausing
11
3.2
To empty a glass quickly in one long gulp
9
3.1
To eat or drink something quickly without stopping
6
9.9
To drink something very quickly in one go
2
8.2
To drink an alcoholic drink quickly
1
5.7
To drink all of a glass or bottle quickly in one go
1
8.5
Drink an alcoholic drink or bottle completely in one session
1
8.0
To drink a lot very quickly, often alcohol
1
3.7
To eat or drink very quickly, often without chewing
1
8.4
To drink a whole glass quickly, often of alcohol
1
9.9
To drink alcohol very quickly in one go
To drink a liquid quickly in big gulps, often alcohol
Antonyms
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
belt + down
The particle 'down' often signals rapid consumption in verb+down compounds, which gives a partial clue to the meaning. However 'belt' does not transparently mean 'drink' (more commonly a noun for clothing or a verb meaning to strike or sing), so the precise sense 'drink quickly' is not fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure; the expression is informal and partly idiomatic.
Etymology
Belt down may come from the strong verb belt (meaning 'to hit or force') plus down, making the picture of forcing a drink quickly down your throat. That's why it means 'to drink something quickly' or 'in one go'.