downstairs
gb/dˈaʊnstˈɛɹz/ us/dˈaʊnstˈɛɹz/
A1
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
A1
relation
1
to a lower floor
to a lower floor in a building
Usage pattern:
go/come/run/walk downstairs (to [place])
Common mistake:
Don’t use it as a noun without “the” (say “the downstairs,” not just “downstairs,” when you mean the lower part of a house).
Synonyms
down (More general; not specifically to a lower floor.)
|
to a lower floor (A more explicit phrase with the same meaning.)
Antonyms
upstairs (To or toward a higher floor.)
|
up (More general movement upward.)
Collocations
go downstairs
|come downstairs
|run downstairs
|walk downstairs
|head downstairs
|rush downstairs
|downstairs to the kitchen
|downstairs to the lobby
|go downstairs and check
|take [something] downstairs
Themes
home
|buildings
|movement
|daily_life
Examples
- I heard a noise, so I went downstairs to check.
- She ran downstairs and opened the front door.
- Can you take these boxes downstairs?
Learner examples
- I go downstairs.
- He comes downstairs.
adverb
A2
relation
2
on a lower floor
in a lower part of a building
Usage pattern:
be/live/sleep/work downstairs
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes add an unnecessary preposition (say “He’s downstairs,” not “He’s in downstairs”).
Synonyms
below (Can refer to any lower position, not only within a building.)
|
down below (Slightly more informal and emphatic.)
Antonyms
upstairs (On a higher floor.)
|
above (More general; not limited to buildings.)
Collocations
be downstairs
|wait downstairs
|live downstairs
|sleep downstairs
|work downstairs
|downstairs in the lobby
|downstairs in the kitchen
|meet me downstairs
|someone is downstairs
|stay downstairs
Themes
home
|buildings
|location
|daily_life
Examples
- If you need me, I’ll be downstairs.
- We’re having coffee downstairs in the lounge.
- The neighbors downstairs complained about the noise.
Learner examples
- My sister is downstairs.
- We eat downstairs.
adjective
A2
property
3
located on the lower floor
on the lower floor
Usage pattern:
the downstairs [room/bathroom/door/apartment]
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse with “down” (which usually describes movement or direction, not a room’s location).
Synonyms
lower-floor (More formal/explicit; often hyphenated before a noun.)
|
ground-floor (Specifically the floor at street level; not always the same as “downstairs.”)
Antonyms
upstairs (Located on a higher floor.)
|
upper-floor (More formal/explicit; often hyphenated before a noun.)
Collocations
downstairs bathroom
|downstairs toilet
|downstairs bedroom
|downstairs kitchen
|downstairs neighbor
|downstairs apartment
|downstairs hallway
|downstairs door
|downstairs window
|downstairs room
Themes
home
|buildings
|daily_life
Examples
- The downstairs bathroom is next to the kitchen.
- We turned the downstairs lights off before bed.
- There’s a downstairs bedroom if you don’t want to climb the stairs.
Learner examples
- The downstairs room is big.
Noun
B1
entity
4
the lower part of a house
the lower floor of a house
Usage pattern:
the downstairs (of [place])
Common mistake:
This meaning usually needs “the” (e.g., “the downstairs is cold”).
Synonyms
lower floor (More neutral and literal; less like a named area.)
|
ground floor (Often the street-level floor; may not match “downstairs” in every building.)
Antonyms
the upstairs (The upper floor or upper part of a building.)
Collocations
the downstairs
|downstairs and upstairs
|the downstairs of the house
|clean the downstairs
|paint the downstairs
|the downstairs bathroom
|the downstairs area
|the downstairs is
|go to the downstairs
|renovate the downstairs
Themes
home
|buildings
|daily_life
Examples
- The downstairs is freezing in winter.
- We repainted the downstairs last weekend.
- All the bedrooms are upstairs, and the downstairs is mostly open-plan.
Learner examples
- The downstairs is noisy.
adverb
informal
B2
relation
5
in the genital area (euphemism)
a polite way to mean “in your private parts”
Usage pattern:
[problem/itch/pain] downstairs
Common mistake:
This is informal and context-dependent; avoid it in medical or very formal situations.
Synonyms
down there (More common and more general as a euphemism.)
|
in your private parts (More explicit and explanatory.)
Collocations
pain downstairs
|problems downstairs
|an itch downstairs
|hurt downstairs
|feel uncomfortable downstairs
|everything is fine downstairs
|a rash downstairs
|shave downstairs
|hair downstairs
|injury downstairs
Themes
health
|body
|relationships
Examples
- He said he had some pain downstairs and should see a doctor.
- After cycling all day, I felt sore downstairs.
- She joked that everything was fine downstairs.
Grammar
Dictionary form
downstairs
IPA
GB/dˈaʊnstˈɛɹz/
US/dˈaʊnstˈɛɹz/
Syllables & stress
down - stairs (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (down)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: downstairs
Word family
Negative and opposite forms
upstairs
adverb A1
Expressions
downstairs apartment
1/dˈaʊnstˈɛɹz əpˈɑɹtmənt/
fixed phrase
apartment on a lower floor
an apartment on a lower floor
Examples
- We rented the downstairs apartment for the summer.
- The downstairs apartment has a small patio.
- Someone new moved into the downstairs apartment last week.
downstairs neighbor
1/dˈaʊnstˈɛɹz nˈeɪbɚ/
fixed phrase
neighbor who lives below
a neighbor in the apartment below you
Examples
- Our downstairs neighbor asked us to keep the music down.
- I left a note for my downstairs neighbor about the leak.
- We brought cookies to the downstairs neighbor to apologize for the noise.
downstairs toilet
1/dˈaʊnstˈɛɹz tˈɔɪlɪt/
fixed phrase
toilet on a lower floor
a toilet on the lower floor
Examples
- There’s a downstairs toilet under the stairs.
- Use the downstairs toilet—someone’s in the bathroom upstairs.
- We added a downstairs toilet during the renovation.
upstairs/downstairs
1/ʌpstˈeɪɹsdˈaʊnstˈeɪɹz/
fixed phrase
social division by status
a division between rich and servants/workers
Examples
- The film explores an upstairs/downstairs world of privilege and hard labor.
- Even in a modern office, you can sometimes feel an upstairs/downstairs dynamic.
- The novel uses the house as a metaphor for upstairs/downstairs class divisions.