knock back
B2Informal, colloquial
Definition
Meaning
To drink something quickly, especially an alcoholic beverage.
To reject or refuse something; to cost someone a significant amount of money; to delay or set back progress.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The meaning is highly context-dependent. The 'drink quickly' sense is often used in social/pub contexts. The 'reject' sense is common in business or personal scenarios. The 'cost' sense is informal and often used with surprise or complaint.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use all senses, but the 'drink quickly' sense is particularly strong and common in British English. The 'reject' sense is slightly more formal in American usage.
Connotations
In British English, 'knock back a pint' has neutral-to-positive social connotations. In both, 'knock back an offer' has negative connotations of refusal.
Frequency
More frequent in British English overall, especially the drinking sense. The 'cost' sense ('It knocked me back £500') is very common in UK informal speech.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] knock back [Object: drink/offer][Event/Cost] knock [Person] back [Amount][Subject] get knocked back by [Rejection]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Knock back a few (drinks)”
- “Knock someone back on their heels (surprise/set back)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used informally to mean rejecting a proposal or bid. 'The board knocked back the merger offer.'
Academic
Rare. Might appear in informal speech among academics.
Everyday
Very common in social contexts (drinking) and discussing costs or rejections.
Technical
Not used in technical registers.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He knocked back three pints before the match.
- The council knocked back our planning application.
- That holiday knocked me back two grand.
American English
- She knocked back her whiskey and ordered another.
- The committee knocked back the funding request.
- The car repairs knocked us back quite a bit.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Not applicable as an adjective.
American English
- Not applicable as an adjective.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He knocked back his juice quickly.
- I knocked back a coffee before the meeting.
- They knocked back our invitation.
- The company knocked back the takeover bid.
- We knocked back a few beers at the pub.
- The unexpected legal fees knocked the project back by several months and a significant portion of its budget.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine someone physically knocking a drink back into their throat, or knocking an unwanted offer back to the sender.
Conceptual Metaphor
REJECTION IS PHYSICAL REPULSION (knocking something away). CONSUMPTION IS FORCEFUL ACTION (knocking a drink down).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as 'стучать назад'. For 'reject', use 'отклонить' or 'отказаться'. For 'drink quickly', use 'быстро выпить' or 'опрокинуть' (colloquial). The 'cost' sense has no direct equivalent; use 'обойтись в (сумму)'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in formal writing. Confusing 'knock back' (phrasal verb) with 'knockback' (noun meaning setback). Incorrect word order: 'He knocked back it' instead of 'He knocked it back'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'knock back' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is almost exclusively informal or colloquial. Avoid it in formal writing.
They are synonyms for 'reject', but 'knock back' is more informal and can sometimes imply a more blunt or surprising refusal.
Yes, though it's most common with alcohol. You can 'knock back' a glass of water or a coffee, especially if done quickly.
The noun is 'knockback' (one word), meaning a setback or rejection. Example: 'Losing the contract was a real knockback for the team.'