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

It’s a mathematical fact of life that a portfolio that loses 20% and then gains 20% will still be down 4%, while one that loses and gains 30% will still be down 9%.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

“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

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

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

They won't necessarily be fifth in November, but I don't think they will be down the bottom either.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

I didn’t want to be down by the field, but I didn’t want to keep avoiding it either.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

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