be down

Idioms  

1. Be depressed, in low spirits, as in During the winter months Sue's always down, but spring cheers her up . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s]

2. Be knowledgeable, canny, or sophisticated, as in He was really down with the new group . This usage probably originated among jazz musicians. [ Slang ; mid-1940s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

be down

“You can’t market it like, ‘Don’t worry, you can drive,’ when the main avenue to drive might be down to one lane,” says Jill Carnevale, the owner of Ellina.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

It’s not too surprising that Tesla’s sales will likely be down compared to last year, according to experts.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

All that will be down to the Albanian state to provide to make the Trump-Kushner development viable.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

"So we can only make cider from the juice we make each year, which means we will be down this year," she adds.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

“She’s still getting ready. She’ll be down in a few minutes,” I say, although he and I both know she’ll probably be a while.

From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm

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