down
gb/dˈaʊn/ us/dˈaʊn/
A1
English
~ 1100
Senses
0 senses
adverb
A1
relation
1
From higher to lower position
Moving from a high place to a low place.
Usage pattern:
to go down [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'down' with 'below'; 'down' often suggests movement, while 'below' describes position.
Synonyms
lower (Focuses on the direction rather than the action of movement.)
Antonyms
up (Indicates movement from a lower to a higher position.)
Collocations
sit down
|fall down
|go down
|come down
|put down
Themes
daily life
|movement
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She walked down the stairs quietly.
- The ball rolled down the hill.
- He looked down at his phone.
- The temperature went down overnight.
- Tears ran down her cheeks.
Learner examples
- The cat ran down the tree.
- She went down the ladder.
- He sat down on the chair.
- The sun goes down in the evening.
adjective
A2
state
2
Feeling sad or depressed
Feeling sad or not happy.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'down' with 'low' when describing emotions. 'Low' is less common in everyday speech for feelings.
Synonyms
sad (A general term for unhappiness; 'down' is often milder and informal.)
Antonyms
happy (Opposite emotional state, feeling good and positive.)
Collocations
feel down
|a bit down
|really down
Themes
emotions
|health
Examples
- She's been feeling down since she lost her job.
- I'm a bit down today, that's all.
- 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.
- She is down because of the rain.
- He looks down after the test.
preposition
A1
relation
3
Along towards lower place
Moving along something towards a lower point.
Usage pattern:
down [something]
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.)
Collocations
down the road
|down the street
|down the river
Themes
movement
|daily life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We walked down the street together.
- The boat floated down the river.
- He ran down the hallway to catch her.
- They live just down the road from us.
Learner examples
- We walk down the street.
- The ball goes down the hill.
- She runs down the stairs.
Noun
B1
entity
4
Soft bird feathers
Very soft small feathers from birds, used to keep warm.
Synonyms
feathers (General term; 'down' refers specifically to soft under-feathers.)
Collocations
goose down
|down jacket
|duck down
Themes
nature
|materials
|animals
|clothing
Examples
- The pillow is filled with goose down.
- Down jackets are great for winter weather.
- Duck down is often used in bedding for warmth.
Learner examples
- This coat has duck down inside.
- The blanket is made of goose down.
- Down keeps birds warm.
Verb
B2
action
5
Knock to the ground
To hit or push someone or something so it falls to the ground.
Usage pattern:
to down [someone/something]
Synonyms
knock over (Similar meaning but 'knock over' can also apply to objects without implying forceful defeat.)
Collocations
down an opponent
|downed by illness
Themes
sports
|conflict
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The boxer downed his opponent in the third round.
- Strong winds downed several trees during the storm.
- He was downed by a sudden tackle.
Learner examples
- The player downed his rival.
- The storm downed many trees.
- He was downed in the game.
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.
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.