1 B2 neutral
To prevent someone from being heard by shouting louder, especially in a crowd or public setting
"The audience shouted down the speaker before he could finish his first sentence."
separable
shout down
B2 neutral separable transitive
To silence or prevent someone from speaking by shouting louder or more persistently than them
In plain English
To stop someone from speaking by being louder and drowning them out
What does "shout down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To defeat or silence opposition through aggressive or persistent vocal expression
"Any attempt at debate was shouted down by party loyalists at the conference."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To shout at someone in a downward-directed way — somewhat transparent
Actually means
To stop someone from speaking by being louder and drowning them out
Usage tip
Often used in political, academic, or protest contexts. Carries a negative connotation — shouting someone down is generally considered unfair or anti-democratic. Can be used literally (in a noisy crowd) or figuratively (in online or public debate).
Words that pair with "shout down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
speaker politician protesters crowd opposition critics
How to conjugate "shout down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shout down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shouts down
he/she/it
Past simple
shouted down
yesterday
Past participle
shouted down
have + pp
-ing form
shouting down
continuous
Hear "shout down" in the wild
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