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 excellent
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
First-time buyers accounted for 33% of home purchases last month, down from 35% in May and up from 30% in June last year. — Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 As for Mexico, its loss on Sunday against England sent prices down 45%, TickPick said. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Adjective
The only down note Sunday was a sore wrist injury incurred by Matt Shaw, who was pinch-hit for in the ninth. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026 Even in a down year in which playing a rookie would have been more beneficial, Jones didn’t play much for the Pacers. — Tony East, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Noun
Citing sources, German outlet WinFuture reports that OnePlus’s parent, Oppo, will announce the brand’s wind-down in the US and Europe later this week. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 14 July 2026 While a much smaller share of Goldman's total revenue than the banking and markets division, this segment is important to the bank's performance through the ups and downs of economic cycles. — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Verb
The sounds of generators could be heard on some streets and downed tree limbs and branches were visible. — Gabriella Fine, Baltimore Sun, 9 July 2026 The powerful winds are capable of causing catastrophic damage to structures while downing trees and power lines, and producing prolonged power outages. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 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. excellent
Adverb
  • Once animal spirits subside, margin debt shrinks and stock prices are pressured downward.
    — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • Looking ahead to the weekend, temperatures are expected to trend downward a bit, settling back into the lower to mid-90s Saturday before dropping into the 80s Sunday.
    — The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Sun, 13 July 2026
Definition of downward
Adverb
  • The shift away from fixer-uppers also showed up in earnings reports from home improvement retailers.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • How to prepare before strong winds approach Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026
Definition of away
Adjective
  • And the public will get an up-close-and-personal look at those conversations—and maybe a few lighthearted games that capture the competitive spirit of the TIME100 Sports attendees—through a livestream.
    — Chantelle Lee, Time, 10 July 2026
  • Kansas left tackle Calvin Clements has gotten an up-close view of the offseason quarterback battle between Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026
Definition of up
Adjective
  • The beat comes on lowered expectations, after the company gave disappointing guidance in February that fell short of analyst estimates.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 2 June 2026
  • For video, the Avata 360 supports a standard color profile with the same naturally vibrant tones as its JPGs, or a 10-bit flat D-Log M profile with lowered contrast and saturation.
    — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of lowered
Adjective
  • The pseudonymous title character, a depressed, drunken, belligerent twenty-six-year-old advice columnist, has no real hardships of his own and is cursed by doubt.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 1 July 2026
  • Supergirl is a story about a depressed, super-powered woman who is pulled out of her bar-hopping to help other people and find her purpose.
    — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 30 June 2026
Definition of depressed
Adjective
  • If a sick animal did end up at a slaughterhouse, the US Department of Agriculture’s thorough meat inspection system would very likely spot it, separate it from others and deem it US Suspect.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • But when McGinley was a teen-ager, Michael became sick with AIDS and moved home to New Jersey.
    — Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • Originally scheduled to pitch in Sacramento on July 1, the Dodgers cited rest for the two-way player in the midst of 13 straight days on the team’s schedule without an off day.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • At the time, Ashley posted evidence of this by sharing an Instagram reel of herself excitedly dancing behind Kimberly as the Father of the Bride star showed off her off-shoulder floral gown.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026
Definition of off
Adjective
  • Rocket is known for its excellent customer service and easy-to-use website and mobile app.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 13 July 2026
  • Bagworm is excellent and I am thrilled Oscilloscope will be bringing this cinematic fever dream to a theater near you.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 July 2026
Definition of excellent

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 17 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on down

Nglish: Translation of down for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about down

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