down
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1down
adverb \ˈdau̇n\Definition of DOWN
1
a (1) : toward or in a lower physical position (2) : to a lying or sitting position (3) : toward or to the ground, floor, or bottom 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: as a : southward b : to or toward a point away from the speaker or the speaker's point of reference c : in or into the stomach <can't keep food down>
3
: to a lesser degree, level, or rate <cool down tensions>
4
: to or toward a lower position in a series
5
a : to or in a lower or worse condition or status 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
8
: to a concentrated state <got the report down to three pages>
9
: into defeat <voted the motion down>
— down to the ground
: perfectly, completely <that suits me down to the ground>
See Examples of DOWN
- 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.
Origin of DOWN
Middle English doun, from Old English dūne, short for adūne, of dūne, from a- (from of), of off, from + dūne, dative of dūn hill
First Known Use: before 12th century
2down
prepositionDefinition of DOWN
: down along, around, through, toward, in, into, or on <fell down the stairs> <down the years>
Examples of DOWN
- 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.
First Known Use of DOWN
14th century
3down
verbDefinition of DOWN
transitive verb
1
: to cause to go or come down: as a : bring down 1 <downed the enemy helicopter> b : consume 3 <downing slices of pizza>
2
: to cause (a football) to be out of play
3
: defeat <down a proposal>
intransitive verb
: to go down
Examples of DOWN
- 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.
First Known Use of DOWN
1562
Related to DOWN
- Synonyms
- bowl (down or over), fell, drop, floor, knock down, knock over, level, mow (down), prostrate
4down
adjectiveDefinition of DOWN
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 : not being in play in football 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>
4
: completely mastered <had her lines down> —often used with pat <got the answers down pat>
5
a slang : cool 7 b slang : understanding or supportive of something or someone —usually used with with <trying to prove that they were down with hip-hop culture — J. E. White>
6
: being on record <you're down for two tickets>
— down on
: having a low opinion of or dislike for
— down on one's luck
: experiencing misfortune and especially financial distress
Examples of DOWN
- 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.
First Known Use of DOWN
circa 1565
Related to DOWN
- Synonyms
- completed, concluded, done, complete, ended, finished, over, over with, terminated, through, up
- Antonyms
- continuing, incomplete, ongoing, uncompleted, undone, unfinished
5down
nounDefinition of DOWN
1
2
: an instance of putting down
3
a : a complete play to advance the ball in football b : one of a series of four attempts in American football or three attempts in Canadian football to advance the ball 10 yards
5
: downer
6
: a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of -1⁄3 and that is one of the constituents of a nucleon
First Known Use of DOWN
1710
6down
nounDefinition of DOWN
1
: an undulating usually treeless upland with sparse soil —usually used in plural
2
often capitalized : a sheep of any breed originating in the downs of southern England
Origin of DOWN
Middle English doun hill, from Old English dūn
First Known Use: 14th century
7down
nounDefinition of DOWN
1
: a covering of soft fluffy feathers; also : these feathers
2
: something soft and fluffy like down
Origin of DOWN
Middle English doun, from Old Norse dūnn
First Known Use: 14th century
Down
nounDefinition of DOWN
: down syndrome —usually used attributively <a Down baby>
First Known Use of DOWN
1994
Down
geographical name \ˈdau̇n\Definition of DOWN
1
district SE Northern Ireland, established 1974 area 250 square miles (650 square kilometers), pop 57,511
2
traditional county SE Northern Ireland
Learn More About DOWN
Seen & Heard 
What made you want to look up down? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
