down
(noun, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition)
adjective
1. being or moving lower in position or less in some value
- lay face down
- the moon is down
- our team is down by a run
Similar word(s): low, descending, behind, downbound, downcast, downfield, downward, fallen, set, thrown, weak
2. extending or moving from a higher to a lower place
- the down staircase
- the downward course of the stream
Similar word(s): descending, downward
3. becoming progressively lower
- the down trend in the real estate market
Similar word(s): falling
4. being put out by a strikeout
- two down in the bottom of the ninth
Similar word(s): out
5. understood perfectly
- had his algebra problems down
Similar word(s): perfect, mastered
6. lower than previously
- prices are down
Similar word(s): low, depressed
7. shut
- the shades were down
Similar word(s): lowered
8. not functioning (temporarily or permanently)
- we can't work because the computer is down
Similar word(s): inoperative
9. filled with melancholy and despondency
- downcast after his defeat
- feeling discouraged and downhearted
Similar word(s): dejected, blue, depressed, dispirited, downcast, downhearted, gloomy, grim, low
Sentences with down as an adjective:
- So, things got you down? / Is Rodney Dangerfield giving you no respect? / Well, bunky, cheer up!
- The stock market is down.
- They are down by 3-0 with just 5 minutes to play.
- He was down by a bishop and a pawn after 15 moves.
- At 5-1 down, she produced a great comeback to win the set on a tiebreak.
- Two down and one to go in the bottom of the ninth.
- Ever since Nixon, I've been down on Republicans.
- Are you down to hang out at the mall, Jamal?
- As long as you're down with helping me pick a phone, Jack.
- The system is down.
- Two down and three to go. (Two tasks completed and three more still to be done.)Ten minutes down and nothing's happened yet.
- We have an officer down outside the suspect's house.
- There are three soldiers down and one walking wounded.
- We have a chopper down near the river.
- It's two weeks until opening night and our lines are still not down yet.
adverb
1. spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower level or position
- don't fall down
- rode the lift up and skied down
- prices plunged downward
Similar word(s): downward, downwardly, downwards
2. away from a more central or a more northerly place
- was sent down to work at the regional office
- worked down on the farm
- came down for the wedding
3. paid in cash at time of purchase
- put ten dollars down on the necklace
4. from an earlier time
- the story was passed down from father to son
5. to a lower intensity
- he slowly phased down the light until the stage was completely black
6. in an inactive or inoperative state
- the factory went down during the strike
- the computer went down again
Sentences with down as an adverb:
- The cat jumped down from the table.
- His place is farther down the road.
- The company was well down the path to bankruptcy.
- I went down to Miami for a conference.
- He went down to Cavan. down on the farm; down country
- The computer has been shut down. They closed the shop down. The up escalator is down.
- Smith was sent down to the minors to work on his batting.
- After the incident, Kelly went down to Second Lieutenant.
- Down, boy! (such as to direct a dog to stand on four legs from two, or to sit from standing on four legs.)
- He's gone back down to Newcastle for Christmas.
- They tamped (down) the asphalt to get a better bond.
- He boiled the mixture./He boiled down the mixture. He sat waiting./He sat down and waited.
noun
1. soft fine feathers
Definition categories: animal, feather, plumage, plume
2. (American football) a complete play to advance the football
- you have four downs to gain ten yards
Definition categories: act, play, turn
3. (usually plural) a rolling treeless highland with little soil
Definition categories: object, highland, upland
4. fine soft dense hair (as the fine short hair of cattle or deer or the wool of sheep or the undercoat of certain dogs)
Similar word(s): pile
Definition categories: body, hair
Sentences with down as a noun:
- Churchill Downs, Upson Downs (from Auntie Mame, by Patrick Dennis).
- I love almost everything about my job. The only down is that I can't take Saturdays off.
- I bet after the third down, the kicker will replace the quarterback on the field.
- I haven't solved 12 or 13 across, but I've got most of the downs.
- She lives in a two-up two-down.
preposition
1. From the higher end to the lower of.
- The ball rolled down the hill.
2. From one end to another of.
- The bus went down the street.
- They walked down the beach holding hands.
verb
1. drink down entirely
- He downed three martinis before dinner
- He downed an ale and ordered another.
Definition categories: consumption, drink, imbibe
2. eat up completely, as with great appetite
- Some people can down a pound of meat in the course of one meal
Similar word(s): consume, demolish, devour
Definition categories: consumption, finish
3. bring down or defeat (an opponent)
Definition categories: competition, defeat, overcome
4. shoot at and force to come down
Similar word(s): land
Definition categories: motion
5. cause to come or go down
- The policeman downed the heavily armed suspect
- The mugger knocked down the old lady after she refused to hand over her wallet
Definition categories: contact, strike
6. improve or perfect by pruning or polishing
Similar word(s): polish, refine
Definition categories: change, ameliorate, amend, better, improve, meliorate
Sentences with down as a verb:
- The storm downed several old trees along the highway.
- He downed two balls on the break.
- He downed it at the seven-yard line.