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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

down.

From a higher position to a lower one; downwards.

4 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

adv/ˈdaʊ̯n/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈdʌʊ̯n/Atlantic-Canada[dəu̯n]Atlantic-Canada/ˈdæʊ̯n/
  1. From a higher position to a lower one; downwards.

    comparable · not-comparable · usually
    The cat jumped down from the table.
  2. To or towards what is considered the bottom of something, irrespective of whether this is presently physically lower.

    not-comparable · usually
    Go down to the bottom of the page.
    As I lay on my back, a pain shot down from my neck to my waist.
  3. At a lower or further place or position along a set path.

    comparable · not-comparable · usually
    His place is farther down the road.
    The company was well down the path to bankruptcy.
  4. To the south (as south is at the bottom of typical maps).

    not-comparable · usually
    I went down to Miami for a conference.
  5. Away from the city (regardless of direction).

    not-comparable · usually
    He went down to Cavan.
    down on the farm
  6. At or towards any place that is visualised as 'down' by virtue of local features or local convention, or arbitrarily, irrespective of direction or elevation change.

    not-comparable · usually
    She lives down by the park.
  7. Forward, straight ahead.

    not-comparable · usually
    At the first intersection turn left and walk down, then turn right.
  8. In the direction leading away from the principal terminus, away from milepost zero.

    not-comparable · usually
  9. Away from Oxford or Cambridge.

    UK · dated · not-comparable · usually
    He's gone back down to Newcastle for Christmas.
  10. To a subordinate or less prestigious position or rank.

    not-comparable · usually
    Smith was sent down to the minors to work on his batting.
    After the incident, Kelly went down to Second Lieutenant.
  11. Towards the opponent's side (in ball-sports).

    not-comparable · usually
  12. So as to lessen quantity, level or intensity.

    not-comparable · usually
    You need to tone down the rhetoric.
    Please turn the music down!
  13. So as to reduce size, weight or volume.

    not-comparable · usually
    Trim the stick down to a length of about twelve inches.
    Thanks to my strict diet, I've slimmed down to eleven stone.
  14. From less to greater detail.

    not-comparable · usually
    This spreadsheet lets you drill down to daily or even hourly sales figures.
  15. From a remoter or higher antiquity.

    not-comparable · usually
    These traditions have been handed down over generations.
  16. Into a state of non-operation.

    not-comparable · usually
    The computer has been shut down.
    They closed the shop down.
  17. So as to secure or compress something to the floor, ground, or other (usually horizontal) surface.

    not-comparable · usually
    We need to nail down this carpet so people don't keep tripping over it.
  18. On paper (or in a durable record).

    not-comparable · usually
    You need to write down what happened while it's still fresh in your mind.
  19. So as to be cowed into silence.

    not-comparable · usually
    The speaker was heckled and shouted down.
    The comedy club's audience was known for hooting down timid performers.
  20. As a down payment.

    not-comparable · usually
    We put £100 down on a new sofa.
    You can have it, no money down.
  21. In a downwards direction; vertically.

    not-comparable · usually
    I'm stuck on 11 down.
  22. Used with verbs to indicate that the action of the verb was carried to some state of completion, permanence, or success rather than being of indefinite duration.

    not-comparable · usually
    He closed operations. / He closed down operations.
    He chased answers. / He chased down answers.
  23. Get down.

    imperative · not-comparable · usually
    Down, boy! (such as to direct a dog to stand on four legs from two, or to sit from standing on four legs.)
Where this word comes from

From Middle English doun, doune (“down”), from Old English dūne (“down”), aphetic form of adūne (“down, downward”), from earlier ofdūne (“down”, literally “off the hill”), from of (“of, off of”) + dūn (“hill, mount, dune, down”). More at Etymology 2 below. For the development from directional phrases to prepositions, compare Old Frisian dene (“down”, adverb, literally “(to the) floor”), Middle Low German dāle (“down, downwards”, literally “(in/to the) dale/valley”), whence German Low German dal (“down”). Compare also Saterland Frisian deel (“down”, literally “to/into the dale”), West Frisian del (“down”). Cognate with Scots doon (“down”).

prep/ˈdaʊ̯n/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈdʌʊ̯n/Atlantic-Canada[dəu̯n]Atlantic-Canada/ˈdæʊ̯n/
  1. From the higher end to the lower of.

    The ball rolled down the hill.
  2. From north to south of.

    We sailed down the eastern seaboard.
  3. Towards the mouth of (a river); in the direction of flow of.

    In this game we float sticks down the river.
  4. From one end to another of (in any direction); along.

    The bus went down the street.
    They walked down the beach holding hands.
  5. At (a given place that is seen as removed from one's present location or other point of reference).

    Ireland · UK
    I'll see you later down the pub.
  6. To (a given place that is seen as removed from one's present location or other point of reference).

    Ireland · UK
    I'm going down the shops.
Where this word comes from

From Middle English doun, doune (“down”), from Old English dūne (“down”), aphetic form of adūne (“down, downward”), from earlier ofdūne (“down”, literally “off the hill”), from of (“of, off of”) + dūn (“hill, mount, dune, down”). More at Etymology 2 below. For the development from directional phrases to prepositions, compare Old Frisian dene (“down”, adverb, literally “(to the) floor”), Middle Low German dāle (“down, downwards”, literally “(in/to the) dale/valley”), whence German Low German dal (“down”). Compare also Saterland Frisian deel (“down”, literally “to/into the dale”), West Frisian del (“down”). Cognate with Scots doon (“down”).

adj/ˈdaʊ̯n/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈdʌʊ̯n/Atlantic-Canada[dəu̯n]Atlantic-Canada/ˈdæʊ̯n/
  1. Facing downwards.

    predicative
    Turn the cloth over so that the patterned side is down.
  2. At a lower level than before.

    predicative
    The stock market is down.
    Prices are down.
  3. Sad, unhappy, depressed, feeling low.

    informal · predicative
    Mary seems very down since she split up with her boyfriend.
    Been down so long it seems like up to me
  4. Sick, wounded, or damaged: Sick or ill.

    predicative
    He is down with the flu.
  5. Sick, wounded, or damaged: Wounded and unable to move normally, or killed.

    not-comparable · predicative · slang
    We have an officer down outside the suspect's house.
    There are three soldiers down and one walking wounded.
  6. Sick, wounded, or damaged: Stranded in a recumbent position; unable to stand.

    predicative
    a down cow
  7. Sick, wounded, or damaged: Mechanically failed, collided, shot down, or otherwise suddenly unable to fly.

    not-comparable · predicative · slang
    We have a chopper down near the river.
  8. Sick, wounded, or damaged: Inoperable; out of order; out of service.

    not-comparable · predicative
    The system is down.
  9. In prison.

    predicative · slang
  10. Having a lower score than an opponent.

    predicative
    They are down by 3–0 with just 5 minutes to play.
    He was down by a bishop and a pawn after 15 moves.
  11. Out.

    colloquial · predicative
    Two down and one to go in the bottom of the ninth.
  12. Negative about; hostile to.

    colloquial · predicative
    She's been down on clams since a bad case of food poisoning; she's lost her appetite for them.
  13. Comfortable [with]; accepting [of]; okay [with].

    Canada · US · predicative · slang
    He's chill enough; he'd probably be totally down with it.
    Asker: Are you down to hang out at the mall? / Answerer: Yeah, as long as you're down with helping me pick a phone.
  14. Accepted, respected, or loyally participating in the (thug) community.

    predicative · slang
    What you mean, 'No'? Man, I thought you was down.
  15. Finished (of a task); defeated or dealt with (of an opponent or obstacle); elapsed (of time). Often coupled with to go (remaining).

    predicative
    Two down and three to go.
    Ten minutes down and nothing's happened yet.
  16. Thoroughly practiced, learned or memorised; mastered. (Compare down pat.)

    predicative
    It's two weeks until opening night and our lines are still not down yet.
  17. Downright; absolute; positive.

    obsolete · predicative
  18. Fallen or felled.

    predicative
  19. Travelling in the direction leading away from the principal terminus, away from milepost zero.

    predicative
    The down train leaves at 10:05.
Where this word comes from

From Middle English doun, doune (“down”), from Old English dūne (“down”), aphetic form of adūne (“down, downward”), from earlier ofdūne (“down”, literally “off the hill”), from of (“of, off of”) + dūn (“hill, mount, dune, down”). More at Etymology 2 below. For the development from directional phrases to prepositions, compare Old Frisian dene (“down”, adverb, literally “(to the) floor”), Middle Low German dāle (“down, downwards”, literally “(in/to the) dale/valley”), whence German Low German dal (“down”). Compare also Saterland Frisian deel (“down”, literally “to/into the dale”), West Frisian del (“down”). Cognate with Scots doon (“down”).

verb/ˈdaʊ̯n/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈdʌʊ̯n/Atlantic-Canada[dəu̯n]Atlantic-Canada/ˈdæʊ̯n/
  1. To knock (someone or something) down; to cause to come down; to fell.

    predicative · transitive
    The storm downed several old trees along the highway.
    A single rifle shot downed the mighty beast.
  2. To knock (someone or something) down; to cause to come down; to fell. Specifically, to cause (something in the air) to fall to the ground; to bring down (with a missile etc.).

    predicative · transitive
    The helicopter was downed by a surface-to-air missile.
  3. To lower; to put (something) down.

    predicative · transitive
    The bell rang for lunch, and the workers downed their tools.
  4. To defeat; to overpower.

    figuratively · predicative · transitive
  5. To disparage; to put down.

    colloquial · predicative · transitive
  6. To go or come down; to descend.

    intransitive · obsolete · predicative · rare
  7. To drink or swallow, especially without stopping before the vessel containing the liquid is empty.

    colloquial · predicative · transitive
    He downed an ale and ordered another.
  8. To render (the ball) dead, typically by touching the ground while in possession.

    Canadian · predicative · transitive
    He downed it at the seven-yard line.
  9. To sink (a ball) into a hole or pocket.

    predicative · transitive
    He downed two balls on the break.
Where this word comes from

From Middle English doun, doune (“down”), from Old English dūne (“down”), aphetic form of adūne (“down, downward”), from earlier ofdūne (“down”, literally “off the hill”), from of (“of, off of”) + dūn (“hill, mount, dune, down”). More at Etymology 2 below. For the development from directional phrases to prepositions, compare Old Frisian dene (“down”, adverb, literally “(to the) floor”), Middle Low German dāle (“down, downwards”, literally “(in/to the) dale/valley”), whence German Low German dal (“down”). Compare also Saterland Frisian deel (“down”, literally “to/into the dale”), West Frisian del (“down”). Cognate with Scots doon (“down”).

noun/ˈdaʊ̯n/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈdʌʊ̯n/Atlantic-Canada[dəu̯n]Atlantic-Canada/ˈdæʊ̯n/
  1. A negative aspect; a downer, a downside.

    predicative
    I love almost everything about my job. The only down is that I can't take Saturdays off.
  2. A grudge (on someone).

    dated · predicative
  3. A downer, depressant.

    predicative
  4. An act of swallowing an entire drink at once.

    predicative
  5. A single play, from the time the ball is snapped (the start) to the time the whistle is blown (the end) when the ball is down, or is downed.

    predicative
    I bet after the third down, the kicker will replace the quarterback on the field.
  6. A clue whose solution runs vertically in the grid.

    predicative
    I haven't solved 12 or 13 across, but I've got most of the downs.
  7. The shift or period of time during which a dealer manages a given table before rotating to the next table at a casino or cardroom, which is often 30 minutes.

    predicative
  8. A downstairs room of a two-story house.

    predicative
    She lives in a two-up two-down.
  9. Down payment.

    predicative
  10. The lightest quark with a charge number of −¹⁄₃.

    predicative
Where this word comes from

From Middle English doun, doune (“down”), from Old English dūne (“down”), aphetic form of adūne (“down, downward”), from earlier ofdūne (“down”, literally “off the hill”), from of (“of, off of”) + dūn (“hill, mount, dune, down”). More at Etymology 2 below. For the development from directional phrases to prepositions, compare Old Frisian dene (“down”, adverb, literally “(to the) floor”), Middle Low German dāle (“down, downwards”, literally “(in/to the) dale/valley”), whence German Low German dal (“down”). Compare also Saterland Frisian deel (“down”, literally “to/into the dale”), West Frisian del (“down”). Cognate with Scots doon (“down”).

noun/ˈdaʊ̯n/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈdʌʊ̯n/Atlantic-Canada[dəu̯n]Atlantic-Canada/ˈdæʊ̯n/
  1. A hill; in England, especially a chalk hill.

    Australia · Southern-England · also · countable · especially · often · plural · predicative · uncountable
    We went for a walk over the downs.
    The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England.
  2. A field, especially one used for horse racing.

    countable · plural-normally · predicative · uncountable
  3. A tract of poor, sandy, undulating or hilly land near the sea, covered with fine turf which serves chiefly for the grazing of sheep.

    UK · countable · in-plural · predicative · uncountable
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *dūnaz? Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *duh₂-nós? Proto-Celtic *dūnomder.? Proto-West Germanic *dūnā Old English dūn Middle English doune English down From Middle English doune, from Old English dūn, from Proto-West Germanic *dūn (“sandhill, dune”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *dūnaz, *dūnǭ (“pile, heap”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“smoke, haze, dust”). Alternatively, perhaps borrowed from Proto-Celtic *dūnom (“hill; hillfort”) (compare Welsh din (“city, fort, stronghold”), Irish dún (“hill, fort”)), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“to finish, come full circle”). Cognate with West Frisian dún (“dune, sandhill”), Dutch duin (“dune, sandhill”), German Düne (“dune”). More at town; akin to dune. Doublet of Down.

noun/ˈdaʊ̯n/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈdʌʊ̯n/Atlantic-Canada[dəu̯n]Atlantic-Canada/ˈdæʊ̯n/
  1. Soft, fluffy immature feathers which grow on young birds. Used as insulating material in duvets, sleeping bags and jackets.

    countable · predicative · uncountable
  2. The pubescence of plants; the hairy crown or envelope of the seeds of certain plants, such as the thistle.

    countable · predicative · uncountable
  3. The soft hair of the face when beginning to appear.

    countable · predicative · uncountable
  4. That which is made of down, as a bed or pillow; that which affords ease and repose, like a bed of down.

    countable · predicative · uncountable
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂nós Proto-Germanic *dūnaz Old Norse dúnnbor. Middle English doun English down From Middle English doun, from Old Norse dúnn, from Proto-Germanic *dūnaz (“down”), which is related to *dauniz (“(pleasant) smell”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰowh₂-nis, from the root *dʰewh₂-. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Duune (“fluff, down”), German Daune (“down”) and Danish dun (“down”).

verb/ˈdaʊ̯n/Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈdʌʊ̯n/Atlantic-Canada[dəu̯n]Atlantic-Canada/ˈdæʊ̯n/
  1. To cover, ornament, line, or stuff with down.

    predicative · transitive
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂nós Proto-Germanic *dūnaz Old Norse dúnnbor. Middle English doun English down From Middle English doun, from Old Norse dúnn, from Proto-Germanic *dūnaz (“down”), which is related to *dauniz (“(pleasant) smell”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰowh₂-nis, from the root *dʰewh₂-. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Duune (“fluff, down”), German Daune (“down”) and Danish dun (“down”).

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Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.