Spanish word

engullir

Pronunciation

IPA/eŋguˈʝiɾ/

Meaning

  • verbswallow

Example

Ella engulló la comida en un minuto.

She swallowed the food in one minute.

Illustration for engullir (swallow)

More examples

Se engulló la pastilla con agua.

He swallowed the pill with water.

Core concept

A person gulping down a large sandwich whole without chewing.

Common phrases

  • engullir una pastilla

    swallow a pill

  • engullir en un bocado

    swallow in one mouthful

Similar words

tragar: Passing food or a foreign item down the throat into the stomach in a normal swallow.
devorar: Consuming large quantities at high speed, eating with voracious appetite.
zampar: Eating hurriedly to fill hunger, taking bites fast and without ceremony.

Definition in Spanish

Tragar o ingerir algo de golpe y sin masticar, con rapidez y avidez; también emplearse figuradamente para consumir algo muy deprisa.

Word origin

It comes from Latin ingluvire, from in- 'into' plus gula 'throat', originally meaning 'put into the throat' and later developing the sense 'to gulp down or consume rapidly'.

Usage tips

  • Engullir has a strong, often voracious tone when used with food, and tragar or comer deprisa are milder alternatives.

Other meanings

  • swallow wholeverb
  • gobble downverb

Opposites

Related words

  • engullidoswallowedadjective

Word lists with this word