shout down
B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To stop someone from speaking by being louder and drowning them out
Literal meaning: To shout at someone in a downward-directed way — somewhat transparent
Meanings
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."
Grammar: separable
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."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
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).
Commonly used with
speaker politician protesters crowd opposition critics
Forms
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
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