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  • down
    down
    adverb
    from higher to lower; in descending direction or order; toward, into, or in a lower position.
  • Down
    Down
    noun
    a county in SW Northern Ireland. 952 sq. mi. (2,466 sq. km). Downpatrick.
Synonyms

down

1 American  
[daun] / daʊn /

adverb

  1. from higher to lower; in descending direction or order; toward, into, or in a lower position.

    to come down the ladder.

  2. on or to the ground, floor, or bottom.

    He fell down.

  3. to or in a sitting or lying position.

  4. to or in a position, area, or district considered lower, especially from a geographical or cartographic standpoint, as to the south, a business district, etc..

    We drove from San Francisco down to Los Angeles.

  5. to or at a lower value or rate.

  6. to a lesser pitch or volume.

    Turn down the radio.

  7. in or to a calmer, less active, or less prominent state.

    The wind died down.

  8. from an earlier to a later time.

    from the 17th century down to the present.

  9. from a greater to a lesser strength, amount, etc..

    to water down liquor.

  10. in an attitude of earnest application.

    to get down to work.

  11. on paper or in a book.

    Write down the address.

  12. in cash at the time of purchase; at once.

    We paid $50 down and $20 a month.

  13. to the point of defeat, submission, inactivity, etc..

    They shouted down the opposition.

  14. in or into a fixed or supine position.

    They tied down the struggling animal.

  15. to the source or actual position.

    The dogs tracked down the bear.

  16. into a condition of ill health.

    He's come down with a cold.

  17. in or into a lower status or condition.

    kept down by lack of education.

  18. Nautical. toward the lee side, so as to turn a vessel to windward.

    Put the helm down!

  19. Slang. on toast (as used in ordering a sandwich at a lunch counter or restaurant).

    Give me a tuna down.


preposition

  1. in a descending or more remote direction or place on, over, or along.

    They ran off down the street.

adjective

  1. downward; going or directed downward.

    the down escalator.

  2. being at a low position or on the ground, floor, or bottom.

  3. toward the south, a business district, etc.

  4. associated with or serving traffic, transportation, or the like, directed toward the south, a business district, etc..

    the down platform.

  5. downcast; depressed; dejected.

    You seem very down today.

  6. ailing, especially, sick and bedridden.

    He's been down with a bad cold.

  7. being the portion of the full price, as of an article bought on the installment plan, that is paid at the time of purchase or delivery.

    a payment of $200 down.

  8. Football. (of the ball) not in play.

  9. Slang.

    1. agreeing, supporting, or understanding.

      I'm totally down with that.

      He's down with those kids.

    2. sophisticated or hip; cool.

      That music is down.

  10. behind an opponent or opponents in points, games, etc..

    The team won the pennant despite having been down three games in the final week of play.

  11. Baseball. out.

  12. losing or having lost the amount indicated, especially at gambling.

    After an hour at poker, he was down $10.

  13. having placed one's bet.

    Are you down for the fourth race?

  14. finished, done, considered, or taken care of.

    five down and one to go.

  15. out of order; not functioning.

    The computer has been down all day.

noun

  1. a downward movement; descent.

  2. a turn for the worse; reverse.

    The business cycle experienced a sudden down.

  3. Football.

    1. one of a series of four plays during which a team must advance the ball at least 10 yards (9 meters) to keep possession of it.

    2. the declaring of the ball as down or out of play, or the play immediately preceding this.

  4. Slang. an order of toast at a lunch counter or restaurant.

  5. Slang. downer.

verb (used with object)

  • downs,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • downed,
    past participle,  past
  • downing
    present participle
  1. to put, knock, or throw down; subdue.

    He downed his opponent in the third round.

  2. to drink down, especially quickly or in one gulp.

    to down a tankard of ale.

  3. Informal. to defeat in a game or contest.

    The Mets downed the Dodgers in today's game.

  4. to cause to fall from a height, especially by shooting.

    Antiaircraft guns downed ten bombers.

verb (used without object)

  • downs,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • downed,
    past participle,  past
  • downing
    present participle
  1. to go down; fall.

interjection

  1. (used as a command to a dog to stop attacking, to stop jumping on someone, to get off a couch or chair, etc.).

    Down, Rover!

  2. (used as a command or warning to duck, take cover, or the like).

    Down! They're starting to shoot!

idioms

  1. down cold / pat, mastered or learned perfectly.

    Another hour of studying and I'll have the math lesson down cold.

  2. down and out, down-and-out.

  3. down with!

    1. away with! cease!.

      Down with tyranny!

    2. on or toward the ground or into a lower position.

      Down with your rifles!

  4. down on, hostile or averse to.

    Why are you so down on sports?

  5. down in the mouth, discouraged; depressed; sad.

down 2 American  
[daun] / daʊn /

noun

  1. the soft, first plumage of many young birds.

  2. the soft under plumage of birds as distinct from the contour feathers.

  3. the under plumage of some birds, as geese and ducks, used for filling in quilts, clothing, etc., chiefly for warmth.

  4. a growth of soft, fine hair or the like.

  5. Botany.

    1. a fine, soft pubescence on plants and some fruits.

    2. the light, feathery pappus or coma on seeds by which they are borne on the wind, as on the dandelion and thistle.


adjective

  1. filled with down.

    a down jacket.

down 3 American  
[daun] / daʊn /

noun

  1. Often downs. (used especially in southern England) open, rolling, upland country with fairly smooth slopes usually covered with grass.

  2. (initial capital letter) any sheep of several breeds, raised originally in the downs of southern England, as the Southdown, Suffolk, etc.

  3. Archaic. a hill, especially a sand hill or dune.


Down 4 American  
[daun] / daʊn /

noun

  1. a county in SW Northern Ireland. 952 sq. mi. (2,466 sq. km). Downpatrick.

  2. an administrative district in this county. 253 sq. mi. (654 sq. km).


down 1 British  
/ daʊn /

preposition

  1. used to indicate movement from a higher to a lower position

    they went down the mountain

  2. at a lower or further level or position on, in, or along

    he ran down the street

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. downwards; at or to a lower level or position

    don't fall down

  2. (particle) used with many verbs when the result of the verb's action is to lower or destroy its object

    pull down

    knock down

    bring down

  3. (particle) used with several verbs to indicate intensity or completion

    calm down

  4. immediately

    cash down

  5. on paper

    write this down

  6. arranged; scheduled

    the meeting is down for next week

  7. in a helpless position

    they had him down on the ground

    1. away from a more important place

      down from London

    2. away from a more northerly place

      down from Scotland

    3. (of a member of some British universities) away from the university; on vacation

    4. in a particular part of a country

      down south

  8. nautical (of a helm) having the rudder to windward

  9. reduced to a state of lack or want

    down to the last pound

  10. lacking a specified amount

    at the end of the day the cashier was ten pounds down

  11. lower in price

    bacon is down

  12. including all intermediate terms, grades, people, etc

    from managing director down to tea-lady

  13. from an earlier to a later time

    the heirloom was handed down

  14. to a finer or more concentrated state

    to grind down

    boil down

  15. sport being a specified number of points, goals, etc behind another competitor, team, etc

    six goals down

  16. (of a person) being inactive, owing to illness

    down with flu

  17. (functioning as imperative) (to dogs)

    down Rover!

  18. (functioning as imperative) wanting the end of somebody or something

    down with the king!

  19. to procure something, esp in advance of needs or in anticipation of someone else

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. (postpositive) depressed or miserable

  2. (prenominal) of or relating to a train or trains from a more important place or one regarded as higher

    the down line

  3. (postpositive) (of a device, machine, etc, esp a computer) temporarily out of action

  4. made in cash

    a down payment

  5. the responsibility or fault of

    this defeat was down to me

  6. informal

    1. having a good understanding of

      down with computers

    2. in agreement with

      completely down with that idea

    3. enjoying mutual friendship and respect with

      down with the kids

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to knock, push or pull down

  2. (intr) to go or come down

  3. informal (tr) to drink, esp quickly

    he downed three gins

  4. (tr) to bring (someone) down, esp by tackling

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. American football one of a maximum of four consecutive attempts by one team to advance the ball a total of at least ten yards

  2. a descent; downward movement

  3. a lowering or a poor period (esp in the phrase ups and downs )

  4. informal to bear ill will towards (someone or something)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
down 2 British  
/ daʊn /

noun

  1. the soft fine feathers with free barbs that cover the body of a bird and prevent loss of heat. In the adult they lie beneath and between the contour feathers

  2. another name for eiderdown

  3. botany a fine coating of soft hairs, as on certain leaves, fruits, and seeds

  4. any growth or coating of soft fine hair, such as that on the human face

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Down 3 British  
/ daʊn /

noun

  1. a district of SE Northern Ireland, in Co Down. Pop: 65 195 (2003 est). Area: 649 sq km (250 sq miles)

  2. a historical county of SE Northern Ireland, on the Irish Sea: generally hilly, rising to the Mountains of Mourne: in 1973 it was replaced for administrative purposes by the districts of Ards, Banbridge, Castlereagh, Down, Newry and Mourne, North Down, and part of Lisburn. Area: 2466 sq km (952 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Down 4 British  
/ daʊn /

noun

  1. any of various lowland breeds of sheep, typically of stocky build and having dense close wool, originating from various parts of southern England, such as Oxford, Hampshire, etc See also Dorset Down

  2. another name for Hampshire Down

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

down 5 British  
/ daʊn /

noun

  1. archaic a hill, esp a sand dune See also downs Downs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

down More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing down


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future


Etymology

Origin of down1

First recorded before 1100; Middle English doune, Old English dūne, shortening of adūne for of dūne “off (the) hill”; see origin at a- 2, down 3

Origin of down2

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English downe, from Old Norse dūnn; akin to Sanskrit dhūmá- “smoke,” Greek thȳmós “soul, breath, spirit,” Latin fūmus “smoke,” Lithuanian dū́mai “smoke,” Slavic (Polish) dym “smoke”

Origin of down3

First recorded before 1000; Middle English dun, dune “hill, elevation,” Old English dūn “mountain, hill, down”; cognate with Dutch duin “mound, dune,” akin to Irish, Old Irish dún “citadel, fortress”; see origin at dune, town


Explanation

The adverb down means "from a higher place to a lower one," like when a person climbs down a ladder or a waiter puts a tray full of cakes down on a table. Anything that moves lower — in height, location, or volume — is down, so you can travel down south, tell your dog to get down, or turn your loud music down. Down can also refer to a mood or condition; if you're feeling down, you're sad, and if your computer is down, it's not working. Another meaning of down is the soft feathers of a young bird, which is sometimes used to fill coats or comforters.

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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.

See Examples For:

This was in line with advice issued by governments, including the US, to take websites down if the flaws could not immediately be fixed.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Spot gold is down 0.4% at $4,123.25 an ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Gomez, 51, won a special election to Congress in 2017, replacing Becerra, who stepped down after then-Gov.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

The Dutch cybersecurity agency went offline as a precaution, and Finland's government shut down its public web services.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

When things finally quiet down, Father Julien pushes himself up.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

I walk in — there they are singing backgrounds on Elton John’s ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Down the stairs, I am welcomed by the yipping of a dozen Pittsburgh-hating Yankees fans.

From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026

The next major step was in Northern Ireland in 2020, at Strangford Narrows in County Down.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Down a flight of leopard-print stairs, the lower level is home to two expansive bedroom suites, separated by a media room, which could also serve as a third bedroom.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

“Don’t know. Down the street, probably. Stopped by to see the twins—hand me that blade, would you?—stopped by to see them yesterday and Henry was helping her put her stuff in boxes.”

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

"There will be ups and downs in the process, but I'm happy because attitude-wise I think he's in a great place."

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

"This year has been quite challenging for me, lots of ups and downs and physical and health issues, so I was just trying to find a good feeling on the court," Djokovic said.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

For most of the season, through ups, downs and injuries, Ohtani has led off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Even more troubling: They went 0-for-12 on third downs, their most attempts without a conversion in recorded franchise history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

He lived a tidy few summers—as they say in that part of the world—and learned to know well the changes of the downs to spring, to winter and to spring again.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Housing starts plunged 5.2% to a 1.22 million rate in September, as homebuilders downed shovels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

Then he downed the champagne to loud cheers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Three years later, after Brian Clough took Forest to the top, Liverpool were European champions again when Alan Kennedy's goal downed Real Madrid in Paris.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

“Nope,” my friend said as he downed his Mountain Dew and we both gorged on Sun Chips.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

They downed their lemonades in three great gulps each.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

After downing Atletico in the first of the three-peat, they beat Juventus and then Liverpool - the latter remembered for Gareth Bale's cameo, Loris Karius' blunders and Sergio Ramos leaving his mark on Mo Salah.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

In 2024, Putin apologised to the president of neighbouring Azerbaijan over the downing of a commercial airliner in Russian airspace, in which 38 people were killed.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

The charges related to the downing of US civilian planes by Cuban forces on February 24, 1996, when Castro was defence minister.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Any renewed attacks would follow strikes by both the U.S. and Iran following the downing of a U.S. helicopter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

All this compared to the forty-five seconds we spend downing bioloaf.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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