1 A2 neutral
To transfer a liquid into a container by pouring.
"He carefully poured the soup into the bowls before calling everyone to the table."
inseparable
pour into
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
To direct a large amount of something — liquid, money, effort, or people — into a specific place or purpose.
In plain English
To put a lot of something into a place or thing, like filling a cup or giving lots of effort to a project.
What does "pour into" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To invest large amounts of money, time, or effort into something.
"The company has poured millions into research and development over the past decade."
“
We have poured money into weapons, but we've skimped on diplomacy.
— Barack Obama, speech to the UN General Assembly, 2009
inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
For crowds of people to move rapidly into a place.
"Fans poured into the stadium long before the match began."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Directing a liquid into the interior of a container — the figurative extension preserves the sense of filling something up.
Actually means
To put a lot of something into a place or thing, like filling a cup or giving lots of effort to a project.
Usage tip
The particle 'into' requires a named destination. Can be literal (pouring liquid into a vessel) or figurative (pouring money/effort into a project). Both uses are very natural in everyday and journalistic language.
Words that pair with "pour into"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
money resources effort energy research a bowl the economy
How to conjugate "pour into"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
pour into
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pours into
he/she/it
Past simple
poured into
yesterday
Past participle
poured into
have + pp
-ing form
pouring into
continuous
Hear "pour into" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "pour into" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "pour into"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
channel into direct into funnel into invest in pump into put into
Keep exploring
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