be down
Idioms-
Be depressed, in low spirits, as in During the winter months Sue's always down, but spring cheers her up . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s]
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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]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The company reiterated its guidance for fiscal-year 2026 net sales to be down 2.5% to 4.5% and adjusted earnings of $2.40 to $2.65 a share.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
Its website can no longer be accessed in the country and also appears to be down elsewhere.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
He flew to Atlanta to meet the melodic rapper in hopes he’d be down to experiment.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
“To give you some perspective, in this kind of scenario, you would expect stock markets to be down 35%, it’s pretty severe,” she said.
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
He would be down there now, in the bay, with Colonel Julyan, and Captain Searle, and the men from the lighter.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
