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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
This mini A-line number has long sleeves and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2023 As the system departs the middle of the U.S., winds are expected to increase, driving wind chills down below zero in some areas, including parts of Kansas. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 25 Nov. 2023 The Tigers returned the ensuing onside-kick attempt 15 yards to the Arkansas 26 to set up Nathaniel Peat's 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down for the final score. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 25 Nov. 2023 Vera Bradley is also discounted, with the Women’s Microfiber Weekender Travel Bag and Women’s Cotton Weekender Travel Bag both down by 30 percent. Hillary Maglin, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2023 The video, which has been viewed 3 million times on TikTok, shows a baggage handler sending a wheelchair crashing down and off of a ramp. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 24 Nov. 2023 Also, the masseter pulls the jaw up and down for chewing. Sarah Y. Wu, Glamour, 22 Nov. 2023 The national average was $3.30 per gallon on Nov. 20, according to AAA, down from $3.67 a year ago. David Koenig, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Nov. 2023 Clearly the tunnels played a crucial part, sixty feet down, some 300 miles of them into a territory less than half as long. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Preposition
The gunmen tried to beat down the door to the safe room before exiting the ship and making their way back to the shores of Yemen. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2023 This wool blend button-front coat is the perfect transition piece as temps start to cool down but aren’t absolutely frigid yet. Maura Jenkins, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023 While some power banks can weigh you down, this 6.9-ounce portable charger can charge an iPhone 14 Pro about 1.5 times in a single charge and comes with a three-year warranty. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2023 The singer is shown holding back tears while extending gratitude to the fans who’ve held her down for nearly three decades. Jaelani Turner-Williams, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2023 Kinsey theorizes Stephen was walking along the road, trying to flag someone down for help. Nikki Battiste, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2023 Ohad, who was taken with his mother, Keren Munder, and roughly 240 hostages during Hamas' terror attack on Oct. 7, is shown being led by a soldier who points down the hall. NBC News, 25 Nov. 2023 It's been slowly sinking down in price over the last few years, but this deal is still alright. Matt Jancer, WIRED, 25 Nov. 2023 Chinese goods pressed down American prices 0.19 percent a year from 2004 to 2015, another study found. Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023
Verb
Less is known about the $30 million Reaper that was downed near Yemen. Missy Ryan, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023 Last fall, strong Santa Ana winds and red flag warnings downed trees and left thousands of Southern Californians without power during the Thanksgiving holiday. Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023 Philippe made landfall in Barbuda late Monday while drenching the northeast Caribbean, downing trees and power lines in a handful of islands. CBS News, 7 Oct. 2023 Although Point Loma was limited to a punt on its opening drive of the third quarter, Brady Allen’s kick was downed at the 2-yard line. Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2023 He was found guilty by the Dutch court of deploying the Buk missile system that investigators said downed the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2023 When gusts exceed 58 mph, Munroe said, downed trees and power lines become a major concern, as does road travel for high-profile vehicles. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2023 The story, loosely based on real-life events, follows a group of WWII soldiers stranded in the ocean after their warship is downed by Japanese fighter jets and find themselves up against that classic underwater foe, a great white. Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Nov. 2023 Three people, including a child, were killed in the Russian city of Belgorod when a Ukrainian drone was downed, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Thursday on Telegram. Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2023
Adjective
Berkshire sold $7 billion of stocks, including some of its big investment in Chevron, and bought just $1.7 billion in the third quarter, a down period for its stock holdings led by Apple, whose share price fell 12%. Jonathan Stempel, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023 Platinum is used to make the electrolyzers that produce hydrogen and the sharp down cycle in South Africa’s platinum mining sector demonstrates the risk that low prices and lack of investment could slow the energy transition. Yusuf Khan, WSJ, 15 Nov. 2023 The down feathers are certified Responsible Down Standard, which means that the down feathers come from animals that have not been subjected to unnecessary harm. Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2023 Most mountain bikes have a bit of hard polymer on the area of the down tube that faces the front wheel, meant to protect the frame from any rocks thrown off by the wheel. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 4 Nov. 2023 What is the difference between a puffer jacket and a down jacket? Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 23 Oct. 2023 Some people prefer to wear a puffy down jacket for their insulating layer rather than a sweater. Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2023 Amazon promises an array of options for every budget like down coats and that viral Amazon jacket, while Nordstrom leans into its reputation for upscale, quality outerwear with luxe wool-blend coats. Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2023 The down alternative filling allows air to circulate through, helping keep you cool on hot nights. Rebecca Martinson, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2023
Noun
Until now, rival DC was the superhero studio that endured the biggest ups and downs, with a good number of its films opening to $50 million or less (in comparison, many MCU releases started with $100 million or more domestically). Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Nov. 2023 Price is now far below the down trending 200-day moving average. John Navin, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Their downs: Trump commanding attention at a rally just miles away from the debate site, and the debating Republicans (often) ducking questions about Trump. Mark Murray, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2023 Yes, there have been ups and downs in my story, but mine is a story of infinite possibility for any young person setting out on a musical journey. Evan Minsker, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2023 There were some ups and some downs, but no regrets about retiring. Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2023 Farmington turned the ball over downs at the Saints' 36 to end its next possession before marching 82 yards in 14 plays to capture the lead. Nwa Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2023 Detroit drove all the way to the Baltimore 6 to start the second half but turned the ball over on downs. Fox News, 22 Oct. 2023 Despite the ups and downs in her dating life, the Grammy winner has never stopped believing in happy endings. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 23 Oct. 2023 See More

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 30 Nov. 2023.

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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