To swallow something (food, drink, medicine) down the throat.
薬を水で飲み込んでください。
Please swallow the medicine with water.
彼はドーナツを一気に飲み込んだ。
He gulped down the donut at once.
魚を丸ごと飲み込む大きな蛇を見た。
I saw a large snake that swallowed a fish whole.
To understand or grasp information; to take something in mentally.
彼は新しい概念をすぐに飲み込んだ。
He grasped the new concept immediately.
説明をゆっくりしたので、全員が内容を飲み込めた。
Because the explanation was slow, everyone was able to take it in.
子どもに複雑なルールを飲み込ませるのは大変だ。
It's hard to get children to understand complicated rules.
To engulf or swallow up (often used figuratively, e.g., a disaster swallowing a town).
大きな津波が町を飲み込んだ。
A large tsunami swallowed the town.
火事が古い家屋を次々に飲み込んでいった。
The fire swallowed the old houses one after another.
深い霧に港全体が飲み込まれて見えなくなった。
The whole harbor was swallowed by thick fog and became invisible.
To be filled with (people) or to contain something (to hold or be full of).
通勤時間の電車は乗客で飲み込まれていた。
The train at rush hour was filled with passengers.
この箱は古い書類で飲み込まれている。
This box is full of old documents.
街は観光客に飲み込まれて、昔の風景はほとんど残っていない。
The town has been overtaken by tourists; little of its old scenery remains.
To swallow one's words or emotions; to suppress a yawn, tears, or what one was about to say.
彼は怒りで言いかけた言葉を飲み込んだ。
He swallowed the words he was about to say in anger.
彼女は涙を飲み込んで笑って見せた。
She swallowed her tears and forced a smile.
会議中にあくびを飲み込むのは難しかった。
It was hard to suppress a yawn during the meeting.