put-down

1 of 2

noun

ˈpu̇t-ˌdau̇n 

: an act or instance of putting down

especially : a humiliating remark

put down

2 of 2

verb

put down; putting down; puts down

transitive verb

1

: to bring to an end : stop

put down a riot

2

a

: depose, degrade

b

: disparage, belittle

mentioned his poetry only to put it down

c

: disapprove, criticize

was put down for the way she dressed

d

: humiliate, squelch

put him down with a sharp retort

3

: to make ineffective : check

put down the gossip

4

: to do away with (an injured, sick, or aged animal) : destroy

5

a

: to put in writing

b

: to enter in a list

6

a

: to place in a category

… I put him down as a hypochondriac.

—O. S. J. Gogarty

b

: attribute

put it down to inexperience

7

: to pack or preserve for future use

8

: consume

… putting down helping after helping …

—Carson McCullers

see also:

put down roots

Synonyms of put-down

Noun

• insult
• sarcasm

Verb

• dismiss
• minimize
• run down
• diminish
• talk down
• play down
• dump on

Examples of put-down in a Sentence

Noun

new hires always have to deal with put-downs and practical jokes from the older employees

your never-ending put-down of my musical talents is really starting to annoy me

Verb

he has the annoying habit of putting down others under the guise of offering constructive criticism

we had the whole agreement put down on paper

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Sadly, that period ended with the closure of newspapers, the violent put-down of protests and the arrest of more than a thousand along with many deaths. —Alissa Simon, Variety, 16 May 2026

When Marilyn Walker was a little girl, her grandmother introduced her to sarcasm through genteel put-downs that sounded sweet but weren’t. —Angela Haupt, Time, 10 Mar. 2026

Verb

After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. —Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026

The couple did hire a supervisory electrician, but otherwise, Paul put down the HVAC himself and the flooring, among other things. —Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1932, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for put-down

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

Kids Definition

put down

verb

1

: to bring to an end by force

put down a riot

2

: to write down (as in a list)

3

: belittle, criticize

put-down

ˈpu̇t-ˌdau̇n

noun