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

• 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

Sometimes his father would get down on all fours and pretend to be a horse as Joe and his younger brother gleefully climbed onto his back. —Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 26 July 2025

However, there’s a fine line between taking note of the key details and trying to get down every word said at the expense of your attention. —Jim Becker, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025

Colbert got down and dirty in Trump monologue His opening monologue was searing and funny. —Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 22 July 2025

Facing pressure from national Democrats to fight new GOP redistricting, Texas Democrats have yet to outline a strategy with just days to go before the Legislature gets down to business. —John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 18 July 2025

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