What does "belt down" mean (sense 1)?

To swallow a drink, usually alcohol, rapidly and in one gulp. Example: "He belted down his whisky and slammed the glass on the table."

belt down

C1 informal separable transitive

To drink alcohol or another liquid quickly and all at once.

In plain English

To swallow a drink very fast in one go.

One main meaning — here's how to use it.

1 C1 idiomatic informal

rare

To swallow a drink, usually alcohol, rapidly and in one gulp.

"He belted down his whisky and slammed the glass on the table."

separable

Usage tip

Used mainly in British informal speech. Often implies drinking alcohol. Less common than 'knock back' or 'down'.

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

whisky shot drink beer rum gin

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base

belt down

I/you/we/they

3rd person

belts down

he/she/it

Past simple

belted down

yesterday

Past participle

belted down

have + pp

-ing form

belting down

continuous

Listen to native speakers using "belt down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

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