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

“Oil stocks and oil prices could be down on headlines,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Now with James out, the Lakers will be down four of their five regular starters.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

On Friday, Clear’s stock tumbled as much as 12% intraday, before bouncing slightly to be down 10.7% in recent afternoon trading.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

It may be down to reports that the Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional troops External link to the Middle East.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

She proved to us that she was down for us, so now we had to be down for her.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers