comedown

1 of 2

noun

come·​down ˈkəm-ˌdau̇n 

: a descent in rank or dignity

come down

2 of 2

verb

came down; come down; coming down; comes down

intransitive verb

1

: to lose or fall in estate or condition

has come down in the world

2

a

: to pass by tradition

a story that has come down from medieval times

b

: to pass from a usually high source

Word came down that the strike was over.

3

: to place oneself in opposition

came down hard on gambling

4

a

: to deal with a subject directly

When you come down to it, we all depend on others.

b

: to reduce itself : amount

it comes down to this

5

: to become ill

came down with measles

6

: come out sense 2a

7

: go on, happen

what's coming down

Synonyms of comedown

Noun

• demise
• down
• downfall
• setback

Verb

• happen
• be
• come
• occur
• come about

Examples of comedown in a Sentence

Noun

For a man who was once a very popular actor, working in a nightclub is quite a comedown.

after a rapid rise to stardom, the rock band's comedown was just as quick

Verb

let's wait and see what comes down at the meeting

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Half Past 8, a patch company that launched last week, says that its products sidestep the crash and comedown associated with some pills and gummies by offering a slow drip of wellness. —Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025

Cindy Lee: Live in Concert was the comedown after an emotional catharsis long ago worked out in private. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025

Verb

With the way things have shaped up so far this season and the rematch nearing, there is no question that the race for the NFC West crown is going to come down to the wire. —Cameron Belcher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025

My mother went upstairs and came down shortly afterward, holding a flat box. —Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1840, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for comedown

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown

Kids Definition

comedown

1 of 2 noun

come·​down ˈkəm-ˌdau̇n 

: a falling in status, position, or reputation

come down

2 of 2 verb

(ˌ)kəm-ˈdau̇n

: to fall sick

came down with the flu

Legal Definition

come down

intransitive verb

came down; coming down

: to be announced

the decision came down from the Supreme Court