downstairs

1 of 3

adverb

down·​stairs ˈdau̇n-ˈsterz 

: down the stairs : on or to a lower floor

downstairs

2 of 3

adjective

down·​stairs ˈdau̇n-ˌsterz 

: situated on the main, lower, or ground floor of a building

downstairs

3 of 3

noun

down·​stairs ˈdau̇n-ˈsterz 

ˈdau̇n-ˌsterz

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

: the lower floor of a building

Examples of downstairs in a Sentence

Adverb

He ran downstairs to answer the door.

He lives downstairs from us.

“Where are the kids?” “They're downstairs.”

Adjective

There are five downstairs rooms.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Players schlep downstairs, wearing slippers or sandals, and walk through the game plan and what to expect from their opponents. —Joe Vardon, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026

Head downstairs afterwards to The Gambit, the hotel’s decadent art deco bar already loved by locals. —Siobhan Grogan, TheWeek, 7 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Victim Barbara Hall was in a downstairs bedroom of the two-story brick building. —Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026

Nearby, her downstairs neighbor, Marina Quiroz, was showing a video of rats scurrying through her kitchen to a representative of the city’s tenant protection office. —ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026

Noun

These are the neighborhood coffee shop, the sweet green downstairs. —Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026

The 2017 two-bedroom residence or vacation rental features open shelving, a wood stove, a kitchen with flat-front cabinets, and a downstairs with a double bunk room, a laundry, and an extra space. —The Week Us, TheWeek, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1598, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1702, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1841, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing downstairs

• the downstairs

Rhymes for downstairs

• affaires
• affairs
• armchairs
• bulgars
• compares
• crosshairs
• declares
• despairs
• forbears
• forebears
• housewares
• impairs

Kids Definition

downstairs

1 of 3 adverb

down·​stairs ˈdau̇n-ˈsta(ə)rz 

-ˈste(ə)rz

: down the stairs : on or to a lower floor

downstairs

2 of 3 adjective

down·​stairs -ˌsta(ə)rz 

-ˌste(ə)rz

: situated on a lower level or on the main or first floor

downstairs

3 of 3 singular or plural noun

down·​stairs ˈdau̇n-ˈsta(ə)rz 

-ˈste(ə)rz, 

-ˌsta(ə)rz, 

-ˌste(ə)rz

: the lower floor of a building