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.
Same-store sales are now projected to be down 1% to flat, compared with a previous forecast of up 1% to 3%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
But while Platner may be down, he’s not out.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Nike said it expects revenue to be down “low- to mid-single-digits” though most of this year.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
If the move holds, the stock will be down a little more than 8% for the week, its worst weekly decline since April last year.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
In less than no time he could be down to the arch.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
