phrase Street Slang

Swear Down

/sweə daʊn/ · phrase · slang

London way of saying 'I swear' or 'on my life' to insist you're telling the truth.

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Definitions

1

A statement of honesty — the London equivalent of 'I swear to God.' You say it to convince someone you're not lying.

“I never touched your phone, swear down.”
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2

Used as a question to demand someone confirm they're being truthful: 'swear down?' meaning 'are you serious?'

“He got bagged by the feds? Swear down?”
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3

Dropped in as an intensifier of shock or sincerity, almost reflexively, the way Americans say 'no cap.'

“That food was the best I've had, swear down.”
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Swear Down In A Sentence

swear down if you lost my charger im gonna cry
nah swear down she actually said that to his face??
i was there at 8 on the dot, swear down on my mum

Origin & Usage

Grew out of London Multicultural English (MLE), blending Caribbean and working-class London speech. Spread nationally through UK grime and drill in the 2010s.

Variants swear down on my mumswear down still
Tags #uk#british#mle#gen-z

People Also Ask

What does 'swear down' mean in UK slang?

It means 'I swear it's true' or 'on my life.' Londoners use it to insist they're being honest.

What does 'swear down' mean on TikTok?

Same as in real life — it's a stamp of truth on a claim, like 'no cap.' UK creators drop it to sound sincere or shocked.

Is 'swear down' rude?

No, it's casual and harmless. It's just an everyday way of emphasizing you're telling the truth.

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