get down

verb

1. (intr; also preposition) to dismount or descend

2. (tr; also preposition) to bring down

   we could not get the wardrobe down the stairs

3. (tr) to write down

4. (tr) to make depressed

   your nagging gets me down

5. (tr) to swallow

   he couldn't get the meal down

6. to attend seriously (to); concentrate (on) (esp in the phrases get down to business or brass tacks )

7. informal,  (intr) to enjoy oneself uninhibitedly, esp by dancing

Idioms and Phrases

Descend; bring down; also, swallow. For example, He's getting down from the ladder , or Can you get the cat down from the tree? or I can't seem to get this pill down . [Late 1500s]

get down to . Give one's attention to, as in Let's get down to work , or It's time we got down to business . [Late 1800s] For the most important variants, see under get down to brass tacks .

get down on . See down on .

get someone down . Discourage or depress someone. For example, Don't let Mary's troubles get you down , or Day after day of rain really gets me down . [c. 1930]

Describe in writing, as in Can you get down all he's saying?

Lose one's inhibitions, enjoy oneself fully. For example, At our reunion we got down with all our old friends . Slang

Example Sentences

Siblings who had no problem splitting up houses and investment accounts can get down and dirty about photo albums.

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“Let’s get down to brass tacks: It’s too expensive to live here.”

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Obsessive gathering has led to Lang’s getting down to unadorned basics.

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“That lazy slob is probably just waking up. We’ll end up getting through six stories before he gets down here.”

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One moment it wriggled to get down; the next it yowled to be picked up and petted.

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Related Words

• disembark 
• get off