Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words
1

swot

play
noun \ ˈswät \

Definition of swot

British
:grind 2b

See swot defined for English-language learners

Explore Merriam-Webster

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
alt-59c448f88ea38
Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'
image1644821030
These Are Fighting Words

Examples of swot in a Sentence

  1. every time he begged off a night at the pub—saying he had to study—his mates teased him for being a swot

Origin and Etymology of swot

English dialect, sweat, from Middle English swot, from Old English swāt — more at sweat

swot Synonyms

Synonyms
bookworm, dink [slang], dork [slang], geek, grind, nerd [British], weenie, wonk
Related Words
double-dome, egghead, highbrow, intellectual; brain, genius; academic, bookman, scholar; gearhead, techie
Near Antonyms
goldbrick, goof-off, slacker, underachiever; lowbrow
2

swot

verb

Definition of swot

swotted; swotting
intransitive verb
British
:grind 4

See swot defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of swot

circa 1860

Phrases Related to SWOT

Related Phrases

SWOT Defined for English Language Learners

swot

play
noun

Definition of swot for English Language Learners

  • : a person who works or studies too much

swot

verb

Definition of swot for English Language Learners

  • : to study very hard for an exam

Learn More about swot

  1. See words that rhyme with swot Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for swot

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up swot? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

anathematize

play

to curse or denounce

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. dotage, dotard a state or period of senile decay

  2. otherwise "in other respects"

  3. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

  4. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  5. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

swot

Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

  • young-plant-shoots
  • Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59c52d6ee2f72
Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

The word's origins are quite literal

alt-59c4207ecf106
Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

image1644821030
8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

alt-59c2960017c94
The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game
Examples: swot in a Sentence