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English definition of “down”

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adverb uk   /daʊn/ us  

down adverb (LOWER POSITION)

A2 in or towards a low or lower position, from a higher one: Is this lift going down? Don't look down! You'll get dizzy. The sun's going down and it'll be dark soon. The space capsule came down in the ocean. I bent down to look under the bed.A1 moving from above and onto a surface: Just as I was sitting down to watch TV, the phone rang. Why don't you lie down on the sofa for a while? This box is really heavy - can we put it down (on the floor) for a minute? Get down off that table immediately! The terrorists forced everybody to lie face down (= with the front part of the body below) on the floor. firmly in place or into position: I put the loose floorboard back and nailed it down. He held my arms down by my sides.
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down adverb (LOWER LEVEL)

in or towards a lower level, a smaller amount, or a simpler state: The rate of inflation is finally going down. Turn the TV down - it's way too loud! The nurse bandaged my sprained ankle to keep the swelling down (= to limit the swelling). If you wait a few months, the price will come down. The Cavaliers were 20 points down (= losing by 20 points) at half-time. The number of students at this school has gone down from 500 last year to 410.
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down adverb (DESTROY)

If you burn, cut, or knock something or someone down, you cause it, him, or her to fall to the ground, usually damaged, destroyed, or injured: The house burned down many years ago. These trees will have to be cut down to make way for the new road. UK She was knocked down by a car and killed instantly.
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down adverb (IN WRITING)

B1 in writing or on paper: I'll write it down now so I won't forget. Do you have it down in writing/on paper, or was it just a verbal agreement? I've got/put you down for (= have written that you want) three tickets each. The police officers were taking down the names of witnesses.
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down adverb (FAR)

B1 used, especially with prepositions, to emphasize that a place is at some distance from you or from somewhere considered to be central: I'll meet you down at the gym after work. He has a house down by the harbour. I'm going down to the shop to buy some milk. in or towards the south: It's much warmer down (in the) south. My parents live down in Florida, but they come up to Chicago every summer. We're moving down to London.
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down adverb (OLDER TO YOUNGER)

from an older person to a younger one: The necklace has been passed/handed down through seven generations. These myths have come down to us from prehistoric times.

down adverb (EATING)

inside your stomach: You'll feel better once you've got some hot soup down you. He's getting weak because he can't keep anything down.

down adverb (MONEY)

at the time of buying: I gave him $1,000 down, and paid the rest in instalments.


preposition uk   /daʊn/ us  

down preposition (LOWER POSITION)

A2 in or towards a low or lower position, from a higher one: I slid down the hill. Aikiko fell down some stairs and broke her wrist.
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down preposition (ALONG)

A2 along: We drove down the highway as far as Atlanta. Her office is down the corridor on the right. They sailed the boat down the river (= towards the sea).

down preposition (TO)

UK not standard to: I went down the pub with my mates.
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verb [T] uk   /daʊn/ us  

down verb [T] (LOWER POSITION)

to cause something or someone to fall to the ground: We downed three enemy planes with our missiles. The ice storm has downed trees and power lines all over the region.

down verb [T] (EAT)

to eat or drink something quickly: He'd downed four beers before I'd finished one.

down verb [T] (DEFEAT)

US to defeat someone, especially in sport: The Yankees downed the Red Sox 7–0.


adjective uk   /daʊn/ us  

down adjective (UNHAPPY)

B2 unhappy; unable to feel excited or energetic about anything: She's been really down since her husband left. I've been (feeling) a little bit down this week.
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down adjective (NOT IN OPERATION)

C1 [after verb] (of a system or machine, especially a computer) not in operation or not working, usually only for a limited period of time: The network will be down for an hour for routine maintenance. The whole system's gone down.
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noun uk   /daʊn/ us  

down noun (FEATHERS)

down noun (DISLIKE)

have a down on sb UK informal to dislike someone, often unfairly: Why do you have a down on him? I think he seems really nice.
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(Definition of down adverb, preposition, verb, adjective, noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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