French word

gober

Pronunciation

IPA/gobe/

Meaning

  • verbswallow

Example

Elle gobe un comprimé.

She swallows a pill.

Illustration for gober (swallow)

More examples

Il ne gobe pas tout ce qu'on lui dit.

He doesn't believe everything he's told.

Core concept

A thing vanishes into an open mouth in one quick gulp, or an idea slips in just as easily.

Common phrases

  • gober un mensonge

    believe a lie

  • gober une arnaque

    fall for a scam

Similar words

avaler: Sends food or liquid down the throat into the stomach.
croire: Takes a story or claim to be true.

Definition in French

Avaler quelque chose par la bouche; au figuré, croire ou se laisser tromper.

Word origin

French gober continues Old French gober, with the figurative sense of accepting something too readily developing from swallowing it whole.

Usage tips

  • Gober is more colloquial than avaler and often suggests a quick gulp or naive belief, while avaler is the neutral everyday choice for swallowing.

Other meanings

  • believeverb
  • foolverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word