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

If it is, it will be one win in five and the gap to Chelsea will be down to four points and Champions League qualification will no longer be viewed as certain.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

CoreWeave’s stock was up as much as 4.2% earlier in Thursday trading, but it then reversed lower to be down 0.6%.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Analysts polled by FactSet expected comparable sales to be down 0.3% in the first quarter and up 1.2% for the year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

I felt like telling Carol that my parents were out there, too, that she had no idea what it was like to be down on your luck, with nowhere to go and nothing to eat.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls