get down

British  

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

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get down Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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 .

3. get down on . See down on .

4. 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]

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

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

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Example Sentences

I was catching myself constantly, just trying to manage getting down the hill.

From The Wall Street Journal

On private appointments, he says: "You immediately get down to the problem because you have that familiarity."

From BBC

This gives me a chance to read or watch a show, get down on the floor for a short workout, spend some time knitting, or eat a leisurely breakfast.

From The Wall Street Journal

Maybe he had climbed the tree and couldn’t get down.

From Literature

“Shut the windows,” I said, getting down to business.

From Literature

Related Words

• disembark
• get off