1 B1 informal
To drink something quickly by sucking or swallowing in large gulps.
"The kids sucked down their milkshakes before the car even reached the end of the street."
separable
suck down
B2 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To draw liquid downward through suction, or to be pulled downward by a sucking force.
In plain English
Drink something through suction, or be pulled down into something like water.
What does "suck down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To pull something or someone downward beneath a surface through suction or a powerful current.
"The riptide sucked the swimmer down before he could call for help."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To suck (draw by suction) something downward — the natural image of liquid being drawn downward.
Actually means
Drink something through suction, or be pulled down into something like water.
Usage tip
Can be literal (drinking enthusiastically through a straw) or describe the force of a current pulling something underwater. Less common than related phrasal verbs. Also used informally to mean drinking something quickly.
Words that pair with "suck down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
drink current water whirlpool smoothie
How to conjugate "suck down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
suck down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sucks down
he/she/it
Past simple
sucked down
yesterday
Past participle
sucked down
have + pp
-ing form
sucking down
continuous
Hear "suck down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "suck down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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