went down; gone down; going down; goes down
1
2
a
: to drop to a lower level
prices going down
b
: to become smaller
The swelling has gone down.
c
: to become less bright
The lights went down as the movie started.
3
—used to say how easy or hard it is to swallow something
The medicine went down easily.
4
a
: to please or agree with one
—used with with and an adverb
My suggestion didn't go down well with the boss.
b
: to come to be remembered especially in posterity
Will they go down in history as great leaders?
5
British
: to leave a university
6
a
: to lose or fail
went down in the third round
b
chiefly British
: to become incapacitated
… went down with … acute tonsillitis …—
Helen Cathcart
Helen Cathcart
c
of a computer, system, etc.
: to stop working
The network went down this morning.
7
slang
: to take place : happen
see also go down on
Examples of godown in a Sentence
Verb
when's the drug deal supposed to go down?
Recent Examples on the Web
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper’s Magazine , 7 Dec. 2021
Tegh Singh arrives and unloads his bundles of blossoms in Kapoor’s godown, an open-air stone courtyard that serves as the distillery.
—Rachna Sachasinh, National Geographic , 4 Jan. 2021
From across the Singapore River this trio of former godowns (warehouses) cuts a striking profile.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 May 2018
R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2026
The mayor is promising plows will go down every street in every neighborhood.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026
Should Heitinga help one or more of that enormously promising group reach their potential, his appointment will likely go down as a success.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Sophomore wing Kennedy Smith went down with an injury after that, and USC blew a fourth-quarter lead to Oregon a few nights later.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Interestingly enough, Stafford’s passing yardage totals have gone down in the past few weeks – from that 457-yard game against Seattle to 269 in a loss in Atlanta, followed by 259 in a comeback victory over the woeful Arizona Cardinals in the final regular-season game.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
When the grid goes down, everyday tech becomes critical.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
When Nix went down last week, Payton didn’t waste any time.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Giving our acquisition of an indulgence the gloss of idealism makes the purchase go down much more easily.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
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Noun
Everything surfeit went to the property’s godown.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper’s Magazine , 7 Dec. 2021
Tegh Singh arrives and unloads his bundles of blossoms in Kapoor’s godown, an open-air stone courtyard that serves as the distillery.
—Rachna Sachasinh, National Geographic , 4 Jan. 2021
From across the Singapore River this trio of former godowns (warehouses) cuts a striking profile.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 May 2018
Verb
This might mean that your total allowance for food goes down by 15 percent or 20 percent (the industry standard), which might translate to one less appetizer, one less drink, et cetera.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2026
The mayor is promising plows will go down every street in every neighborhood.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026
Should Heitinga help one or more of that enormously promising group reach their potential, his appointment will likely go down as a success.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Sophomore wing Kennedy Smith went down with an injury after that, and USC blew a fourth-quarter lead to Oregon a few nights later.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Interestingly enough, Stafford’s passing yardage totals have gone down in the past few weeks – from that 457-yard game against Seattle to 269 in a loss in Atlanta, followed by 259 in a comeback victory over the woeful Arizona Cardinals in the final regular-season game.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
When the grid goes down, everyday tech becomes critical.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
When Nix went down last week, Payton didn’t waste any time.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 24 Jan. 2026
Giving our acquisition of an indulgence the gloss of idealism makes the purchase go down much more easily.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Godown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/godown. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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