get down

verb

got down; got down or gotten down; getting down; gets down

transitive verb

1

: to manage to swallow

2

: to cause to be physically, mentally, or emotionally exhausted : depress

the weather was getting her down

3

: to commit to writing : describe

intransitive verb

1

: to alight especially from a vehicle : descend

2

: to give one's attention or consideration

—used with to

get down to business

3

a

: to perform music or dance effectively and infectiously

b

: to have a good time partying

Synonyms of get down

• descend
• dismount
• light

Examples of get down in a Sentence

I was getting down from the seaplane when a gust of wind swept away my hat.

it's really getting him down that there does not seem to be one woman who will date him

Recent Examples on the Web

The Atlanta Botanical Gardens was more than a picturesque site for Sydney to get down on one knee. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 22 Jan. 2026

The couple shared a photo of the moment Dal got down on one knee in Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York, to ask Segal, 30, to marry him. —Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026

As California lawmakers get down to business this month, the city’s lobbyists and consultants are still contending with the arrest and indictment of Governor Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson. —Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 18 Jan. 2026

Casemiro, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and others did not hesitate to get down into the dirt to make slide tackles and block City’s shooting. —Carl Anka, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for get down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown