1 B1 informal
To drink alcohol or a beverage quickly, often in one swift gulp.
"He knocked back three shots before anyone else had finished their first drink."
separable
knock back
B1 informal separable transitive
To drink something quickly, to reject or discourage someone, or to cost a surprising amount of money.
In plain English
To drink something fast, to say no to someone's offer, or to cost someone a lot of money.
What does "knock back" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To reject or refuse someone's request, proposal, or romantic advance.
"She knocked back his invitation to dinner without any explanation."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
To cost someone a substantial and often surprising amount of money.
"The car repairs knocked us back nearly a thousand pounds."
separable
4 B2 idiomatic informal
To shock or discourage someone; to affect someone negatively.
"The bad news really knocked her back — she didn't speak for the rest of the day."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To knock something backward — to push it away.
Actually means
To drink something fast, to say no to someone's offer, or to cost someone a lot of money.
Usage tip
Chiefly British English. Three main senses: (1) to drink alcohol quickly and in one go; (2) to reject a person romantically or professionally; (3) to cost a significant sum of money (often used in passive constructions: 'it knocked me back £500'). All senses are informal.
Words that pair with "knock back"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
drink whisky shot offer proposal application hundreds thousands
How to conjugate "knock back"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
knock back
I/you/we/they
3rd person
knocks back
he/she/it
Past simple
knocked back
yesterday
Past participle
knocked back
have + pp
-ing form
knocking back
continuous
Hear "knock back" in the wild
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Other ways to say "knock back"
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