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

Early January can feel like the comedown after too much sparkle. —Rafaela Jinich, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026

Read on to learn why experts say drinking on a plane can spark symptoms beyond feeling tipsy, and make the comedown that much worse. —Korin Miller, SELF, 30 Dec. 2025

Verb

Imagine the stress and potential heartbreak if Buffalo’s hopes to advance to the second round come down to an extra point or field goal. —Tim Graham, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026

This season, coaches told Knecht his opportunities on the floor would come down to his defense. —Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026

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