“Swill” is an English word with a few related meanings, most often negative or informal.

Core meanings

  • As a verb , “to swill” means to drink something greedily, quickly, or in large amounts, especially alcohol.
  • It can also mean to rinse or wash something by pouring plenty of water over or through it, especially in British English.
  • As a noun , “swill” often refers to liquid food waste (like kitchen scraps mixed with water) used to feed pigs or very low-quality drink/food.

Everyday usage examples

  • “They were swilling beer all night” = they were drinking lots of beer, fast and carelessly.
  • “She swilled the glasses with clean water” = she rinsed the glasses out with plenty of water.
  • “This coffee is swill” = the coffee is terrible, like low-quality sludge.

Tone and connotation

  • “Swill” is usually informal and can sound insulting when used about food or drink (“this soup is swill”).
  • When used for cleaning (“swill the bucket out”), it is more neutral and common in British English.

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