Phrasal verb
belt out
Definition
phrasal verb. to sing or play a musical instrument very loudly and with a lot of energy.
phrasal verb. to perform a song or piece of music with great volume and vigour; typically used in the context of vocal performance or brass instruments.
Examples
“She loves to belt out songs in the shower.”
“The crowd began to belt out the national anthem as the players walked onto the field.”
“Despite her lack of formal training, she could belt out Broadway show tunes with a power that filled the entire theatre.”
Examples
simple
“She loves to belt out songs in the shower.”
contextual
“The crowd began to belt out the national anthem as the players walked onto the field.”
complex
“Despite her lack of formal training, she could belt out Broadway show tunes with a power that filled the entire theatre.”
Usage
usually takes a song, a tune, or a lyric as its direct object.
Teaching tip
the word 'belt' suggests the physical force of the breath coming from the diaphragm; it is almost always used for loud, enthusiastic singing rather than quiet or sad music.
Pitfall
He belted out to the song.
He belted out the song.
this is a transitive phrasal verb, so the song is the direct object and does not need the preposition 'to'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
belt + out + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/belt-out