1 C1 idiomatic neutral
To suppress emotions or feelings, keeping them hidden inside rather than expressing them.
"He tried to bottle down his anxiety before the performance, but it showed on his face."
separable
bottle down
C1 neutral separable transitive
To suppress or contain emotions or feelings, pressing them inward rather than expressing them.
In plain English
To keep your feelings hidden inside yourself and not show them.
What does "bottle down" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To push something down into a bottle — sealing it below the surface so it cannot escape.
Actually means
To keep your feelings hidden inside yourself and not show them.
Usage tip
Rare and not widely established as a standard phrasal verb. Where it does appear, it is used similarly to 'bottle up' — suppressing emotions or containing something within a bottle-like seal. 'Bottle up' is strongly preferred in everyday usage. Learners should use 'bottle up' instead.
Words that pair with "bottle down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
feelings emotions anger grief frustration
How to conjugate "bottle down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bottle down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bottles down
he/she/it
Past simple
bottled down
yesterday
Past participle
bottled down
have + pp
-ing form
bottling down
continuous
Hear "bottle down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "bottle down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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