down

1 of 8

adverb

1
a(1)
: toward or in a lower physical position
Don't look down.
Pull down the blind.
(2)
: to a lying or sitting position
Please sit down.
(3)
: toward or to the ground, floor, or bottom
burned the house down
fell down
b
: as a down payment
paid $10 down
c
: on paper
put down what he says
2
: in a direction that is the opposite of up: such as
a
: southward
traveled down to South Africa
b
: to or toward a point away from the speaker or the speaker's point of reference
walked down to my neighbor's house
c
: in or into the stomach
can't keep food down
3
: to a lesser degree, level, or rate
cool down tensions
Try to calm down.
4
: to or toward a lower position in a series
seems to be far down on their agenda
moved down in the pop charts
5
a
: to or in a lower or worse condition or status
students held down by a lack of social support
b
used to indicate thoroughness or completion
dusted down the house
described him down to his haircut
6
: from a past time
stories passed down by word of mouth
7
: to or in a state of less activity or prominence
scaled down our plans
8
: to a concentrated state
got the report down to three pages
9
: into defeat
voted the motion down

down

2 of 8

preposition

: down (see down entry 1) along, around, through, toward, in, into, or on
fell down the stairs
write down the phone number
down the years
grew up down the block from each other
pacing up and down the room

down

3 of 8

verb

downed; downing; downs

transitive verb

1
: to cause to go or come down (see down entry 1) : such as
a
: to cause to fall by or as if by shooting : bring down sense 1
downed the enemy helicopter
b
: consume sense 3
downing slices of pizza
2
football : to cause (a ball) to be out of play
downed the ball at the five-yard line
3
: defeat
down a proposal

intransitive verb

: to go down

down

4 of 8

adjective

1
a(1)
: occupying a low position
specifically : lying on the ground
down timber
(2)
: directed or going downward
attendance is down
b
: lower in price
c
football : not being in play because of wholly stopped progress or because the officials stop the play
The ball was down.
d
: defeated or trailing an opponent (as in points scored)
down by two runs
e
baseball : out
two down in the top of the third inning
2
a
: reduced or low in activity, frequency, or intensity
a down economy
b
: not operating or able to function
The computer is down.
c
: depressed, dejected
feeling a bit down
also : depressing
a down movie
d
: sick
down with flu
3
: done, finished
eight down and two to go
4
: completely mastered
had her lines down
often used with pat
got the answers down pat
5
a
slang : cool sense 7
a down dude
b
slang : understanding or supportive of something or someone
usually used with with
trying to prove that they were down with hip-hop cultureJ. E. White
6
: being on record
you're down for two tickets

down

5 of 8

noun (1)

1
: descent, depression
emotional ups and downs
the ups and downs of the business cycle
2
: an instance of putting down someone (such as an opponent in wrestling)
3
football
a
: a complete play to advance the ball
b
: one of a series of four attempts in American football or three attempts in Canadian football to advance the ball 10 yards
caught the ball on third down
4
chiefly British : dislike, grudge
5
: downer
6
physics : a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of -¹/₃ and that is one of the constituents of a nucleon

down

6 of 8

noun (2)

1
: an undulating usually treeless upland with sparse soil
usually used in plural
sheep grazing on the grassy downs
2
often capitalized : a sheep of any breed originating in the downs of southern England

down

7 of 8

noun (3)

1
: a covering of soft fluffy feathers
also : these feathers
goose down pillows
2
: something soft and fluffy like down
a trace of down on his cheeks

Down

8 of 8

noun (4)

: down syndrome
usually used attributively
a Down baby
Phrases
down to the ground
: perfectly, completely
that suits me down to the ground
down on
: having a low opinion of or dislike for
The coach has been down on him lately.
down on one's luck
: experiencing misfortune and especially financial distress

Examples of down in a Sentence

Adverb The land slopes down to the sea. She called down to her friends in the street below. They set the cake down on the table. Lay down your book for a minute. We watched the sun go down. We keep our wine collection down in the basement. What's going on down there? He fell down and hurt his knee. Climb down out of that tree! He knocked him down with one punch. Preposition Sweat dripped down her neck. The children ran down the hill. She fell down the stairs. He climbed down the ladder. He spilled mustard down the front of his shirt. Her hair hung loosely down her back. Go down the road and turn left. We grew up down the block from each other. The bathroom is halfway down the hall on the right. His pitches were right down the middle of the plate. Verb The storm downed power lines throughout the city. a large number of downed power lines They were downing beers and watching the game on TV. The quarterback downed the ball to stop the clock. Adjective The window shades were down. The candy is down on the bottom shelf. There was a pile of dirty clothes down on the floor. She took the down escalator. These changes should help keep prices down. Stocks are down again today.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
The Sharks were down 2-0 in the second period when Zetterlund scored at the 11:48 mark to cut the Blue Jackets’ lead to one. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 The total number of killings in D.C. so far this year is down compared with the same period in 2023. Alexandra Ma, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 Related article Engagement ring sales are down sharply, according to America’s biggest jeweler The largest cohort of Millennials is aging, and the newer, smaller generations (Gen Z and Gen Alpha) place less importance on having a big wedding, said McMurray. Samantha Delouya, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 Statewide unemployment was flat, California’s consumer confidence as measured by the Conference Board was up 7 percent — and the Fed Funds rate (controlled by the Federal Reserve) was down 0.4 percentage points. Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 But now the residents are down 50 percent of the sand and $300,000 of work. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 Singapore’s Strait Times said ordering services on the McDonald’s app were down in the city-state. Shirley Zhao, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 Rising grocery store prices are one of the reasons why Americans are down on the economy, according to experts. Elizabeth Schulze, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2024 Particularly in this circumstance, writings on the court should turn the national temperature down, not up. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 5 Mar. 2024
Preposition
An acid such as lemon or vinegar will slow down the enzyme making the vapors that lead to tears. Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 In the series’ fifth episode, Jacobson chronicles Wright, who after a decade of traveling the world and shooting extreme sports stunts, experiences an unexpected medical emergency that forces her to slow down and reevaluate her life. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 18 Mar. 2024 Ryan laments the coastal Maine cabins that were passed down through generations, only to be lost because the property taxes got too high. Olivia McCormack, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 The location was convenient; at the time, Close also owned a 2,500-square-foot live/work studio down the block at 20 Bond Street. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2024 He was followed down the stairs with one member of his party. Stepheny Price, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2024 Some refer to our epoch as the Anthropocene, since human activity has had such a significant effect on the planet — but a panel of experts recently voted down the official designation. Sam Corbin, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 Try not to think of me as gone, just think of me as moving down the block. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 To get to Centre Court, players must walk down a long hall lined with photos of Wimbledon’s champions. Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
Authorities briefly restricted operations at three of Moscow’s airports on Sunday after a drone was downed near the Domodedovo area of the capital. Bloomberg, Fortune Europe, 18 Mar. 2024 Gas leaks, fires and downed power lines are being reported there as well. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024 France's military claimed downing two of the Houthi drones. Jon Gambrell, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024 Heavy rain also loosens the soil, causing sinkholes, mudslides and downed trees, which can make a route dangerous or impassable. Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Report power outages and downed wires by calling 800-423-6634 or 989-733-8515. Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2024 Decisions made while downing cocktails can come back to haunt you… Or, in Karen Pittman’s case, to haunt your castmates. Shania Russell, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2024 Azerbaijan is widely believed to have downed an Armenian Iskander in 2020 with a Barak 8. Paul Iddon, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 And from downing shrimp dumplings to taping Lunar New Year greetings in Chinese, the candidates — former Rep. Tom Suozzi and Nassau County Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip — are openly chasing their support in a district that covers parts of Queens and New York City’s Long Island suburbs. Celeste Katz Marston, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Best Overall Canada Goose Venture Bucket Hat While Canada Goose is a household name beloved for its down parkas, the leading Canadian outdoor outfitter is more than just one thing—as evidenced by this take on the boonie hat. William Goodman, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024 The film follows a down and out actor living in Tokyo, who is hired as the token American guy for a Japanese rental family company providing professional stand-in services. Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 The multi-billion dollar screen protector industry would like to keep that on the down low. Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Lewis Hamilton dated Nicole Scherzinger for seven years before splitting in 2015 Lewis Hamilton prefers to keep his dating life on the down low. Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 San Francisco converted just three-of-12 (25%) third down attempts. Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024 If someone wants to add collagen powder to coffee and the taste is acceptable, there is no down side. Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2024 The other way to access this and other manual controls is in the hidden menu, seen when tapping the down arrow on the top of your screen in camera mode. Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2024 Feather Feather pillows are more affordable than their down counterparts because feathers are more abundant than down and can be derived from more species of birds. Brianna Kamienski, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
In a wide-ranging interview, the former child actress — who's been candid about her ups and downs growing up in Hollywood — tells PEOPLE exclusively that she’s made peace with her past. Alex Ross, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 The streamer has greenlit Receiver, which like Quarterback will follow several wide receivers (and one tight end) through the ups and downs of the 2023 season. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024 The 2024 bill had its ups and downs during the legislative session as well, but lawmakers in the last week of the legislative session appeared to thread the needle of the various stakeholder groups who took issue with different versions of the bill. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Mar. 2024 The doc also traces their history together, the ups and downs of a storied career and gives them a chance to air their grievances — with their old collaborators, with their critics, and most pointedly, with each other. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2024 All the experiences, ups and downs, from a coaching career that began in 1985 gave Hearlihy the wisdom to preach patience. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2024 The couple split soon after filming wrapped, with Chloe revealing that their ups and downs just got too bumpy. Charlotte Walsh, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2024 Athenian’s run to the title game had its ups and downs. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Life may have its ups and downs, but JoJo is ready to take them all in stride. Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb, Preposition, Verb, Adjective, and Noun (1)

Middle English doun, from Old English dūne, short for adūne, of dūne, from a- (from of), of off, from + dūne, dative of dūn hill

Noun (2)

Middle English doun hill, from Old English dūn — see down entry 1

Noun (3)

Middle English doun, from Old Norse dūnn

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Preposition

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun (1)

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (4)

1987, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of down was before the 12th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near down

Cite this Entry

“Down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/down. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

down

1 of 7 noun
: a rolling grassy upland
usually used in plural

down

2 of 7 adverb
1
a
: toward or in a lower position
b
: to a lying or sitting position
c
: toward or to the ground, floor, or bottom
2
: as a down payment
paid $10 down
3
: in a direction opposite to up
add the numbers across and down
4
: to or in a lower or worse condition
held down by a bad economy
5
: from a past time
heirlooms that have been handed down
6
: to or in a state of less activity
excitement died down

down

3 of 7 adjective
1
a
: being in a low position
especially : lying on the ground
b
: directed or going downward
a down escalator
c
: being at a lower level
sales are down
2
a
: low in spirits : sad
feeling a bit down
b
: sick sense 1a
down with flu
3
: being finished or come to an end
eight down and two to go

down

4 of 7 preposition
: down along : down through : down toward : down in : down into : down on
down the road

down

5 of 7 noun
1
: a low or falling period
the ups and downs of life
2
: one of a series of four plays that a football team gets to advance the ball ten yards

down

6 of 7 verb
1
: to go or cause to go or come down
2
3
: to cause (a football) to be out of play

down

7 of 7 noun
1
: a covering of soft fluffy feathers
2
: something soft and fluffy like down
Etymology

Noun

Old English dūn "hill"

Adverb

Old English dūne "down," shortened from adūne, literally, "off the hill," from a- "off" and dūne, form of dūn "hill"

Noun

Middle English doun "down, feathers"; of Norse origin

Geographical Definition

Down

geographical name

1
district of southeastern Northern Ireland bordering the Irish Sea; established 1974 area 250 square miles (650 square kilometers), population 69,750
2
traditional county of southeastern Northern Ireland

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