down 1 of 6

adverb

ˈdau̇n How to pronounce down (audio)
Definition of downnext
1
as in downward
toward or in a lower position the stairs went down to the basement

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Relevance

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2
as in away
from this or that place came down from New York for the weekend

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down

2 of 6

adjective

1
as in up
brought or having come to an end eight down and two to go

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2
as in lowered
directed down a down escalator

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3
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness feeling a bit down

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4
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body down with the flu

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5
as in off
not being in working order while my computer was down, I attended to some unfinished odds and ends lying about my cubicle

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6
as in great
slang of the very best kind a small jazz club that showcases some really down musicians

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down

3 of 6

noun (1)

as in fur
a soft airy substance or covering a comforter filled with goose down

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down

4 of 6

noun (2)

1
as in accident
something (as a situation or event) that is depressing lately it's been one down after another in my life

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2
as in grudge
chiefly British a lingering ill will towards a person for a real or imagined wrong I don't understand why she'd have such a down against me; we've never even spoken to each other!

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3
as in dislike
chiefly British a strong feeling of not liking or approving for years after the war her grandfather had an unshakable down on the Germans

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4
as in drop
the act or process of going to a lower level or altitude suffered with a psychological disorder in which she alternated between emotional ups and downs

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5
as in demise
a loss of status experienced the ups and downs of a career in showbiz

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down

5 of 6

noun (3)

as in prairie
usually downs plural a broad area of level or rolling treeless country hold a festival on the downs

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down

6 of 6

verb

1
as in to drop
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall downed his opponent with one stunning blow

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2
as in to swallow
to take into the stomach through the mouth and throat downing slices of pizza and guzzling bottles of soda

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3
as in to dismiss
to reject by or as if by a vote all attempts to ban indoor smoking had been downed by the town council

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of down
Adverb
The stock opened sharply lower and was down 6% at its session low. — Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026 Data transfer speeds are now capped at 480Mbps, down from 5Gbps. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
Adjective
The program would not be funded by taxpayers but instead by the interest charged to borrowers on their down-payment loan. — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 So far, though, the team looks great, and the offense seems back to normal after a down year last season. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Noun
North Carolina was 8 of 11 on third downs and 2 of 2 on fourths, converting on key plays when needed. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026 The next UConn possession, down two scores after Hodges pushed the deficit to nine, started with only three minutes left in regulation and resulted in a turnover on downs. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 31 Oct. 2026
Verb
Even so, the government abruptly downed hundreds of trees on the course with little warning earlier this month, which critics worry was a pretext for beginning renovations. — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 Sofiia Lavska/Apostrophe/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Russia's Defense Ministry said, meanwhile, that air defenses downed 808 Ukrainian drones overnight, and that two people were reported injured, The Associated Press reported. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down
  1. downward
  2. away
  3. up
  4. lowered
  5. depressed
  6. sick
  7. off
  8. great
Adverb
  • Higher rates push downward on stock prices, which raises the pressure on companies to deliver growth in profits to counteract that.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • When both actuators are activated, its feather-like wings snap downward and propel the robot up.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of downward
Adverb
  • Stop for breakfast at Musa, a buzzy café kiosk in São Conrado, and stick around for a beach day away from the crowds.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Its target lay thousands of miles away in northwestern Russia.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of away
Adjective
  • Long before theme parks dominated Orlando, visitors came to the region to admire sprawling citrus groves, wander botanical gardens, and get an up-close look at Florida’s most famous reptiles.
    — Amber Love Bond, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2026
  • While portrait gives you an intimate up-close look, landscape captures more of the scene, including birds in flight and interacting.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of up
Adjective
  • There are predetermined dates for lowered flags each year, and the governor’s office announces any additional dates necessary.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This isn’t the first study to link acupuncture with lowered symptoms of depression.
    — Korin Miller, Allure, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of lowered
Adjective
  • Celebrated as masterpieces today, at the time they were regarded as the unpolished works of a depressed, crazy man and commercially worthless.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In the event of a severe winter or import bottlenecks, depressed storage levels not only narrow Europe's capacity to absorb supply shocks but also risk driving natural gas prices higher.
    — , CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of depressed
Adjective
  • Pediatric staff members bring Halloween, Christmas, Easter, New Year’s Eve and even the Tooth Fairy to hospitalized sick kids.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Documenting which children grew sickest and following an illness from house to house was a method aimed at articulating an explainable pattern.
    — Jim Downs, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • For the first time, off-year elections have attracted more cash than was spent to win the presidential race two years earlier.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • An off week for both teams provides them ample time to prepare, and both have something to prove.
    — PJ Green October 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of off
Adjective
  • L3Harris claims its design can deliver greater range and speed than existing systems.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Tarantino revealed the most personally meaningful piece of casting in a film filled with great performances — including supporting turns by multiple actors (Austin Butler, Mikey Madison, Sydney Sweeney) who have blown up in the seven years since.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of great

Phrases Containing down

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dowers
down
down and dirty
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Cite this Entry

“Down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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