down
gb/dˈaʊn/ us/dˈaʊn/
A1
English
~ 1100
le, lefelé, lehangolt, kedvetlen, pehely, tollpihe, ledönt, kidönt, leüt
A1
1
Usage pattern:
to go down [something]
She walked down the stairs quietly.
Csendben lesétált a lépcsőn.
The ball rolled down the hill.
A labda legurult a dombról.
He looked down at his phone.
The temperature went down overnight.
Tears ran down her cheeks.
Learner examples
The cat ran down the tree.
A macska leszaladt a fáról.
She went down the ladder.
Lement a létrán.
He sat down on the chair.
The sun goes down in the evening.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'down' with 'below'; 'down' often suggests movement, while 'below' describes position.
Meaning
From higher to lower position
Collocations
sit down
|fall down
|go down
|come down
|put down
Synonyms
lower (Focuses on the direction rather than the action of movement.)
Antonyms
up (Indicates movement from a lower to a higher position.)
Themes
daily life
|movement
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Moving from a high place to a low place.
From a higher place or level to a lower one.
A2
2
She's been feeling down since she lost her job.
Azóta lehangolt, amióta elvesztette az állását.
I'm a bit down today, that's all.
Ma egy kicsit lehangolt vagyok, ennyi az egész.
He seemed down after the meeting.
Don't be so down; things will improve.
Music always cheers me up when I'm down.
Learner examples
I feel down today.
Ma lehangolt vagyok.
She is down because of the rain.
Az eső miatt lehangolt.
He looks down after the test.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'down' with 'low' when describing emotions. 'Low' is less common in everyday speech for feelings.
Meaning
Feeling sad or depressed
Collocations
feel down
|a bit down
|really down
Synonyms
sad (A general term for unhappiness; 'down' is often milder and informal.)
Antonyms
happy (Opposite emotional state, feeling good and positive.)
Themes
emotions
|health
Definition
Feeling sad or not happy.
Feeling unhappy, depressed, or lacking energy.
A1
3
lefelé
A2
Usage pattern:
down [something]
We walked down the street together.
Együtt sétáltunk lefelé az utcán.
The boat floated down the river.
A csónak lefelé sodródott a folyón.
He ran down the hallway to catch her.
They live just down the road from us.
Learner examples
We walk down the street.
Lefelé sétálunk az utcán.
The ball goes down the hill.
A labda lefelé gurul a domboldalon.
She runs down the stairs.
Meaning
Along towards lower place
Collocations
down the road
|down the street
|down the river
Synonyms
along (Indicates movement in a direction; 'down' specifies towards a lower end or further along.)
Antonyms
up (Indicates movement in the opposite, upward direction.)
Themes
movement
|daily life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Moving along something towards a lower point.
Along or towards a lower place or position.
NOUN
B1
4
The pillow is filled with goose down.
A párna libapehellyel van megtöltve.
Down jackets are great for winter weather.
A pehelykabátok remekek téli időben.
Duck down is often used in bedding for warmth.
Learner examples
This coat has duck down inside.
Ebben a kabátban kacsapehely van.
The blanket is made of goose down.
A takaró libapehellyel van töltve.
Down keeps birds warm.
Meaning
Soft bird feathers
Collocations
goose down
|down jacket
|duck down
Synonyms
feathers (General term; 'down' refers specifically to soft under-feathers.)
Themes
nature
|materials
|animals
|clothing
Definition
Very soft small feathers from birds, used to keep warm.
Soft, fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers of birds, used for insulation and bedding.
VERB
B2
5
Usage pattern:
to down [someone/something]
The boxer downed his opponent in the third round.
A bokszoló a harmadik menetben leütötte az ellenfelét.
Strong winds downed several trees during the storm.
Az erős szél több fát is kidöntött a viharban.
He was downed by a sudden tackle.
Learner examples
The player downed his rival.
A játékos ledöntötte az ellenfelét.
The storm downed many trees.
A vihar sok fát kidöntött.
He was downed in the game.
Meaning
Knock to the ground
Collocations
down an opponent
|downed by illness
Synonyms
knock over (Similar meaning but 'knock over' can also apply to objects without implying forceful defeat.)
Themes
sports
|conflict
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To hit or push someone or something so it falls to the ground.
To cause someone or something to fall to the ground, especially in sports or combat.
Grammar
Dictionary form
down
IPA
GB/dˈaʊn/
US/dˈaʊn/
Syllables & stress
down (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (down)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: down
- Plural: down, downs
Verb
- Base: down
- 3rd Person Singular: downs
- Present Participle: downing
- Past: downed
Word family
Forms
downs
noun
downing
verb
downed
verb
Core family
downward
adjective B2
Related words
downstairs
adverb/adjective A1
downhill
adverb/adjective
download
verb/noun A2
downtown
adverb/adjective/noun A2
downside
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
Expressions
come down with
1/kˈʌm dˈaʊn wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
Get sick with something minor
To start being ill with something, usually not serious like a cold or flu.
Examples
- I think I'm coming down with a cold.
- She came down with the flu last week.
calm down
1/kˈɑm dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
become or make less upset
To stop feeling very angry, afraid, or excited, or to help someone else stop feeling this way.
Examples
- She took a deep breath to calm down.
- You need to calm down and think about this carefully.
- Please calm down and explain what happened.
- The teacher tried to calm the class down after the loud noise.
- He didn’t calm down until he got an answer from the doctor.
calm down
1/kˈɑm dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
become less upset
to stop being angry or worried
Examples
- Take a minute to calm down before you reply.
- She calmed him down by speaking quietly.
- He finally calmed down after he realized it was a misunderstanding.
Learner examples
- Please calm down.
- I need to calm down.
sit down
1/sˈɪt dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
move into sitting position
To lower your body so that you are sitting, not standing or lying.
Examples
- Please sit down and make yourself comfortable.
- He sat down after running around all morning.
- He sat down next to his friend.
turn down
1/tˈɚn dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
Lower level of device output / refuse offer
To make sound, heat, etc. less strong from a machine OR to say no to an offer.
Examples
- I had to turn down their invitation.
- Please turn down the volume.
- She turned down the job offer.
- She turned down his invitation.
break down
1/bɹˈeɪk dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
Stop working or collapse emotionally
When a machine stops working, or when a person starts crying or cannot control emotions anymore.
Examples
- My car broke down on the way home.
- Our car broke down on the way to the airport.
- She broke down in tears when she heard the news.
- Let me break down the process so everyone can understand it.
- The washing machine has broken down again.
- She broke down in tears after hearing the news.
- The washing machine keeps breaking down, so we need a new one.
- He tried to stay calm but finally broke down during the interview.
- The teacher broke the problem down into three simple questions.
- The bus broke down in the middle of the journey and everyone had to get off.
- After days of stress, he broke down and asked for help.
- The article breaks down the new law in clear language.