Down
daʊn
Definitions
5 meaningsTo or toward a lower place or position.
daʊn
To or in a lower position or place.
The book fell down.
💡 Simply: Imagine a slide! 'Down' means moving from a higher place to a lower one, like sliding down the slide. 'Down' also means the opposite of 'up,' so if something is 'down,' it's below.
👶 For kids: Going from high to low, like sliding down a slide!
More Examples
He looked down at the ground.
The elevator went down.
How It's Used
"The cat jumped down from the table."
"Please shut down the computer."
Moving in the direction of something lower or a lower place, position, or state.
daʊn
In a lower position on or along something.
He walked down the street.
💡 Simply: Imagine a ladder! 'Down' in this case means going along the surface of something, like the ladder rungs, in a downward direction. You're going *down* the ladder, or the river is *down* the valley.
👶 For kids: Like when you go down the slide or down the road.
More Examples
The cat ran down the stairs.
The rain poured down the window.
How It's Used
"The river flows down the valley."
"She was down with the flu."
Feeling sad or unhappy.
daʊn
Depressed or unhappy.
She's feeling down today.
💡 Simply: Imagine your favorite toy broke. Being 'down' means feeling sad or not happy, like when something disappointing happens, leaving you feeling low.
👶 For kids: Feeling sad or not happy.
More Examples
He was down about the exam results.
Don't be down; there's always next time.
How It's Used
"She felt down after the bad news."
"Don't be down, things will get better!"
A period of reduced activity, function, or availability.
daʊn
A period of being offline or a decrease in function.
The system suffered a brief down.
💡 Simply: Imagine a computer that stops working, or a website that's unavailable. A 'down' in this sense refers to a period of inactivity or not being functional.
👶 For kids: When something is not working anymore, like your favorite TV show goes off air.
More Examples
There was a down in the stock market.
The server experienced a down for maintenance.
How It's Used
"The website experienced a short down."
"The market is experiencing a down."
To knock or bring to a lower position.
daʊn
To knock or bring down.
The wrestler downed his opponent.
💡 Simply: Imagine taking something from a standing position to a lower one. Like in sports, a player gets 'downed' when they are tackled to the ground. It's a more aggressive use of the word.
👶 For kids: To make something fall down.
More Examples
The company downed the project due to costs.
The wind downed the tree.
How It's Used
"The player was downed by a tackle."
"The company downed the project."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
Down and out
Lacking resources or in a state of complete failure or poverty.
"After losing his job, he was down and out."
Down the drain
Wasted or lost irretrievably.
"All the money went down the drain."
Down to earth
Practical and realistic; sensible.
"She's very down to earth and easy to talk to."
Down the line
In the future; at a later time
"We'll deal with that issue down the line."
From Old English *dūne*, dūne meaning "down, downward, to the ground." Related to Proto-Germanic *dūz-*, meaning "down, below." The word has evolved over time, adapting to various contexts and grammatical functions.
The word 'down' has been used since Old English times, initially as an adverb describing direction. Over time, its usage expanded to include prepositions, adjectives, verbs, and various idiomatic expressions.
Memory tip
Imagine a ball rolling *down* a hill.
Word Origin
"from a lower place, downward"