ENGLISH
REFERENCE

belt out

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to sing or play a musical instrument very loudly and with a lot of energy.

phr. v.. to perform a song or piece of music with great volume and vigour; typically used in the context of vocal performance or brass instruments.


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.

Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
belt + out + object
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'.

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