Down Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

The Britannica Dictionary mobile search

• Home
• Ask the Editor
• Word of the Day
• Quizzes
• Core Vocabulary
• Browse the Dictionary

×

• Britannica Homepage
• Ask the Editor
• Word of the Day
• Quizzes
• Core Vocabulary
• Browse the Dictionary

The Britannica Dictionary down 209 ENTRIES FOUND:

• down (adverb)
• down (adjective)
• down (preposition)
• down (noun)
• down (noun)
• down (verb)
• down–and–dirty (adjective)
• down–and–out (adjective)
• down–at–the–heels (adjective)
• down–home (adjective)
• down–market (adjective)
• downs (noun)
• Down's (noun)
• Down's syndrome (noun)
• down–to–earth (adjective)
• down payment (noun)
• Down syndrome (noun)
• broken–down (adjective)
• button–down (adjective)
• dress–down (adjective)
• dressing–down (noun)
• drop–down menu (noun)
• first down (noun)
• hand–me–down (adjective)
• hands down (adverb)
• knock–down, drag–out (adjective)
• lie–down (noun)
• low–down (adjective)
• pull–down menu (noun)
• put–down (noun)
• run–down (adjective)
• sit–down (adjective)
• sit–down (noun)
• thumbs–down (noun)
• top–down (adjective)
• trickle–down (adjective)
• upside down (adverb)
• upside–down cake (noun)
• watered–down (adjective)
• aisle (noun)
• alley (noun)
• arm (noun)
• back (verb)
• balloon (noun)
• batten (verb)
• bear (verb)
• beat (verb)
• bed (verb)
• bog (verb)
• boil (verb)
• bow (verb)
• brass (noun)
• break (verb)
• breathe (verb)
• bring (verb)
• bucket (verb)
• buckle (verb)
• burn (verb)
• call (verb)
• change (verb)
• chase (verb)
• chip (noun)
• choke (verb)
• chop (verb)
• chow (verb)
• clamp (verb)
• climb (verb)
• close (verb)
• come (verb)
• copy (verb)
• count (verb)
• count (noun)
• crack (verb)
• cut (verb)
• deep (adverb)
• defeat (noun)
• die (verb)
• do (verb)
• drag (verb)
• drain (noun)
• dress (verb)
• dumb (verb)
• dump (noun)
• eye (noun)
• fall (verb)
• foot (noun)
• force (verb)
• fort (noun)
• garden (noun)
• gauntlet (noun)
• get (verb)
• go (verb)
• grind (verb)
• ground (noun)
• gun (verb)
• hair (noun)
• hand (verb)
• hatch (noun)
• head (noun)
• history (noun)
• hold (verb)
• hunker (verb)
• hunt (verb)
• job (noun)
• jump (verb)
• keep (verb)
• knock (verb)
• knuckle (verb)
• law (noun)
• lay (verb)
• lead (verb)
• lead (noun)
• let (verb)
• lie (verb)
• life (noun)
• lift (verb)
• line (noun)
• live (verb)
• load (verb)
• look (verb)
• luck (noun)
• mark (verb)
• melt (verb)
• mouth (noun)
• mow (verb)
• nail (verb)
• neck (noun)
• nose (noun)
• note (verb)
• pan (noun)
• pants (noun)
• pass (verb)
• pat (verb)
• path (noun)
• peg (noun)
• pike (noun)
• pin (verb)
• pipe (verb)
• piss (verb)
• play (verb)
• plonk (verb)
• plop (verb)
• plughole (noun)
• plunk (verb)
• pull (verb)
• put (verb)
• quiet (verb)
• quieten (verb)
• ram (verb)
• river (noun)
• road (noun)
• roll (verb)
• root (noun)
• rub (verb)
• run (verb)
• saw (verb)
• scale (verb)
• sell (verb)
• send (verb)
• set (verb)
• settle (verb)
• shake (verb)
• shoot (verb)
• shout (verb)
• shove (verb)
• shut (verb)
• side (noun)
• simmer (verb)
• sit (verb)
• size (noun)
• slick (verb)
• slim (verb)
• slow (verb)
• smash (verb)
• south (adverb)
• spine (noun)
• splash (verb)
• stand (verb)
• stare (verb)
• step (verb)
• strike (verb)
• tack (noun)
• take (verb)
• talk (verb)
• tear (verb)
• throat (noun)
• tie (verb)
• toilet (noun)
• tone (verb)
• touch (verb)
• trade (verb)
• trickle (verb)
• trim (verb)
• trousers (noun)
• tube (noun)
• turn (verb)
• up (adverb)
• up (adjective)
• vote (verb)
• walk (verb)
• wash (verb)
• water (verb)
• wear (verb)
• weigh (verb)
• whittle (verb)
• wind (verb)
• wipe (verb)
• world (noun)
• write (verb)

1 down /ˈdaʊn/ adverb 1 down /ˈdaʊn/ adverb Britannica Dictionary definition of DOWN 1 a : from a higher to a lower place or position

• The land slopes down to the sea.
• Please pull down the window shade. = Please pull the window shade down.
• I'll come down [=downstairs] in a minute.
• She called down to her friends in the street below.
• They set/put the cake down on the table.
• Lay down your book for a minute.
• We watched the sun go down.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples b : in a low position or place

• Keep your head down.
• We keep our wine collection down in the basement.
• What's going on down there?

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 : to or toward the ground or floor

• He fell down and hurt his knee.
• Climb down out of that tree!
• He knocked him down with one punch.
• Don't look down!
• Brightly colored flags hang down from the ceiling.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 3 : to a lying or sitting position

• Please, sit down.
• Lie down and go to sleep.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 4 a : to or toward the south

• They went down to Florida for two weeks.
• We drove down from New York.
• The weather's much warmer down south.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples b informal : to or toward a place that is thought of as below or away from another place

• She drove down to our house.
• Come on down and see us sometime.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples c : to or toward a place that is away from the speaker

• He is heading down to the store.
• Would you mind moving (further) down so that we can sit here, too?

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 5 : on a piece of paper

• Write down everything he says.
• Take down this number.
• Did you get that down?

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 6 : at a lower or less important position in a list or series

• Supporting public education seems to be far down [=low] on the government's agenda.
• Cleaning my house ranks pretty far down on my list. [=there are many other things I'd rather do]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples — opposite up 7 : to a lower or lesser degree, level, or rate

• Slow down.
• Could you turn the volume down, please?
• We should give them some time to cool down.
• We should wait for the winds to calm down before we set sail.
• The company's stock went down last week.
• The team was 10 points down [=it had 10 fewer points than the other team] in the third quarter.
• The price of gasoline is starting to go down again.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples — opposite up 8 : to a smaller or weaker state

• We have scaled down our plans for the new building.
• Some people want to use the budget surplus to pay down the national debt. [=to make payments that will reduce the national debt]
• They have cut/whittled down the number of candidates.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples — often + to

• He finally got his report down to three pages.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 9 : to a state of failure or defeat

• The school board voted the budget down 55 to 15. [=it voted not to pass the budget]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 10 : in a way that causes someone or something to be less able to move

• Remember to tie down the load.
• They had to strap the patient down to his bed.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 11 : in a thorough or complete way

• The car needs to be washed down.
• Hose the dog down outside.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 12 : to the place where a person or thing is or came from

• They use dogs to hunt down escaped prisoners.
• He chased the ball down and threw it to third base.
• Every attempt to pin down the cause of the disease has proved unsuccessful.
• I haven't been able to track down that quotation.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 13 : from a past time

• This vase has been handed down in our family for several generations.
• Most of these stories were passed down by word of mouth.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 14 : as a first payment : as a down payment

• We put 10 percent down [=we made a 10 percent down payment] on the house.
• Buy a car now with no money down. [=without making a down payment]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 15 : in the stomach

• The baby is having trouble keeping food down.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 16 British : away from a school or university

• He was sent down for misconduct and never earned his degree.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples

down in the mouth

— see 1mouth

down to

1 : in a way that includes even (the smallest or least important part)

• Our work must be accurate down to the last detail.
• They knew everything about him down to the cologne he wore.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 : to the last person or thing that can be used

• It looks like it's down to you and me. [=we are the last two people that are available]
• I'm down to my last dollar. [=I have only one dollar left]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples

down with

— used to say that you do not like something and want it to stop or fail

• Down with racism!
• Down with the government!

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples

keep your head down

— see 1head

let your hair down

— see hair

put your foot down

— see 1foot

up and down

— see 1up

with your pants down

— see pants 2 down /ˈdaʊn/ adjective 2 down /ˈdaʊn/ adjective Britannica Dictionary definition of DOWN 1 : in a low place or position

• The window shades were down.
• The candy is down on the bottom shelf.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples : on the ground or floor

• There was a pile of dirty clothes down on the floor.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 : going downward

• She took the down escalator.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 3 : lower in price or value

• These changes should help keep prices down.
• Stocks are down again today.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 4 : less than an earlier or normal level

• Attendance has been down lately.
• New construction is down sharply this month.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 5 : having a lower level of activity

• Our business is having a down year.
• a down market/economy

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 6 : having fewer points than an opponent

• His team was down by 10 points [=trailed by 10 points] in the third quarter.
• We're down two runs.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 7 : not operating properly : not able to function

• We can't get any work done while the network/system is down.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 8 [more down; most down] : sad or unhappy

• You look pretty down. What's the matter?
• She was feeling down.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 9 : finished or completed

• I've got eight down and only two more to go. [=I've finished eight and have two more to do]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 10 : learned in a complete way

• Do you all have your lines down? [=memorized]
• We have our routine down pat. [=we have mastered our routine; we can do it easily]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 11 : having something written or recorded in an official way

• You are down for two tickets. [=you are signed up to get two tickets]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 12 US slang — used to say that you understand or approve of something — usually + with

• I told them I wasn't down with lying to people. [=I don't think that lying to people is right]
• Yeah, I'm down with that.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 13 baseball — used to say how many outs have been made in the inning by the team that is batting

• There are now two (men) down in the top of the third inning.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 14 American football — used to say that the ball or the player who has the ball is on the ground and the play has ended

• The runner was down on the fifty-yard line.
• The ball was down.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples

down for the count

— see 2count

down on

informal : having a bad opinion of someone or something

• My coach has been down on me lately.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples

down on your luck

— see 1luck

down with

: affected by (an illness)

• She has been down with the flu for a week.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples

when the chips are down

— see 1chip 3 down /ˈdaʊn/ preposition 3 down /ˈdaʊn/ preposition Britannica Dictionary definition of DOWN 1 : from a higher to a lower part of (something)

• Sweat dripped down her neck.
• The children ran down the hill.
• She fell down the stairs.
• He climbed down the ladder.
• He spilled mustard down the front of his shirt.
• Her hair hung loosely down her back.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 : along the course or path of (something)

• Go down the road/street and turn left.
• We grew up down the block from each other.
• There's a bridge three miles down the river. [=three miles in the same direction that the water is going in the river]
• ships sailing down the coast [=along the coast usually toward the south]
• The bathroom is halfway down the hall on the right.
• His pitches were right down the middle of the plate.
• I usually part my hair down the center.
• He is still pacing up and down [=back and forth in] the room.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 4 down /ˈdaʊn/ noun plural downs 4 down /ˈdaʊn/ noun plural downs Britannica Dictionary definition of DOWN 1 [count] : a period or state of failure, trouble, etc. — usually plural

• The company has had more downs than ups this year.
• We have had our ups and downs.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 American football : one of a series of four chances that a team has to move the ball forward 10 yards in order to keep the ball and begin a new series [noncount]

• He caught the ball on second/third down.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples [count]

• a series of downs

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples — see also first down — compare 5down, downs 5 down /ˈdaʊn/ noun 5 down /ˈdaʊn/ noun Britannica Dictionary definition of DOWN [noncount] 1 : small and very soft feathers

• goose down
• a pillow filled with down

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples — often used before another noun

• a down pillow/comforter/jacket

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 : small soft hairs

• The young man had just a light trace of down on his cheeks.
• the down of a peach

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples — compare 4down, downs 6 down /ˈdaʊn/ verb downs; downed; downing 6 down /ˈdaʊn/ verb downs; downed; downing Britannica Dictionary definition of DOWN [+ object] 1 : to cause (something) to fall to the ground

• He downed [=shot down] four enemy planes.
• The storm downed power lines throughout the city.
• a downed bird/plane
• a large number of downed power lines

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 informal : to eat or drink (something) especially quickly

• She quickly downed [=took, swallowed] the pills I gave her.
• They were downing beers and watching the game on TV.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 3 American football : to cause (a football) to be out of play

• The quarterback downed the ball to stop the clock.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 4 informal : defeat

• Smith downed Jones in the first round of the tournament.
• The Cardinals downed the Braves by a score of 5–2.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples ASK THE EDITOR

What are the plural forms of check-in, passerby, and spoonful? See the answer »

QUIZZES Vocabulary Quiz Test your word power Take the Quiz » Name That Thing Take our visual quiz Test Your Knowledge » WORD OF THE DAY

impair : to make (something) weaker or worse Learn More »

1. About Us & Legal Info
2. Contact Us
3. Privacy Notice
4. Terms of Use
5. Pronunciation Symbols
6. Help

© 2026 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.