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.

Similar word(s): kill, pop

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.