to swot
- verb
- /swɑt/
- UK
- She decided to swot for her final exams, spending every evening in the library.
Examples
-
You know, I had every intention of swotting up on your poetry last night, but I fell asleep halfway through the first one.
-
Other girls my age are in school, wearing scratchy, plaid uniforms and swotting over O levels.
Fiction book (1998) -
And no more of this keeling over like a stunned ox from swotting at the books.
Fiction book (2001) -
He spent the weekend swotting on the topics he found most challenging.
-
To prepare for the test, Maria needed to swot hard for several days.
Synonyms
To study something quickly before a test
Study very hard in a short time for an exam
To study quickly before an exam or important event
Work hard for a long time on something, often before an exam or deadline
Study something a lot in a short time to prepare for an exam
To study a lot in a short time before a test
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
- Specialized
A study that lists good points, bad points, chances to grow, and risks for a business or project
- Specialized
A chart that shows a business or project's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
How Hard
Surface Forms
Etymology
Swot probably comes from an older word like sweat, which means 'to sweat'. The idea is you 'sweat' over your books, so to swot is to study very hard, especially before an exam.