1. Spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower level or position
   "don't fall down"; "rode the lift up and skied down";
   - downwards, downward, downwardly
    
2. Away from a more central or a more northerly place
   "came down for the wedding"; "flew down to Florida"; "was sent down to work at the regional office"; "worked down on the farm"
    
3. To a lower intensity
   "he slowly phased down the light until the stage was completely black"
    
4. In an inactive or inoperative state
   "the factory went down during the strike"; "the computer went down again"
    
5. From an earlier time
   "the story was passed down from father to son"
    
6. Paid in cash at time of purchase
   "put ten dollars down on the necklace"

1. Being or moving lower in position or less in some value
   "our team is down by a run"; "down by a pawn"; "the stock market is down today"; "lay face down"; "the moon is down"
    
2. Extending or moving from a higher to a lower place
   "the down staircase";
   - downward
    
3. Becoming progressively lower
   "the down trend in the real estate market"
    
4. Not functioning (temporarily or permanently)
   "we can't work because the computer is down"
    
5. Filled with melancholy and despondency
   "He looked down in the mouth after receiving the bad news";
   - gloomy, grim, blue [informal], depressed, dispirited, downcast, downhearted, down in the mouth [informal], low, low-spirited
    
6. Lower than previously
   "prices are down";
   - depressed
    
7. Shut
   "the shades were down"
    
8. Understood perfectly
   "had his algebra problems down"; "She had her lines down pat for the play";
   - down pat [informal]
    
9. (baseball) being put out in a game of baseball
   "two down in the bottom of the ninth"

1. Cause to come or go down
   "The policeman downed the heavily armed suspect"; "she was knocked down by a bus"; "The policeman cut down the heavily armed suspect";
   - knock down, cut down, push down, pull down
    
2. Drink down entirely
   "He downed three martinis before dinner"; "They poured down a few beers after work"; "They drank down a few beers after work"; "They bolted down a few beers after work"; "They belted down a few beers after work";
   - toss off [informal], pop [informal], bolt down [informal], belt down [informal], pour down, drink down, kill [informal]
    
3. Eat up completely, as with great appetite
   "The teenagers downd four pizzas between them";
   - devour, demolish [Brit, informal], consume, go through
    
4. (sport) bring down or defeat (an opponent)
   "The linebacker downed the running back"
    
5. Shoot at and force to come down
   "the enemy downed several of our aircraft";
   - shoot down, land
    
6. Improve or perfect by pruning or polishing
   "They downed the rough draft into a polished manuscript";
   - polish, refine, fine-tune

1. Soft fine feathers
   "Down feathers provide excellent insulation in winter coats";
   - down feather
    
2. Fine soft dense hair (as the fine short hair of cattle or deer or the wool of sheep or the undercoat of certain dogs)
   "The duckling's soft down kept it warm";
   - pile
    
3. (American football) a complete play to advance the football
   "you have four downs to gain ten yards"
    
4. (usually plural) a rolling treeless highland with little soil
   "Sheep grazed on the grassy downs"; "The chalk downs of southern England are popular with hikers"

1. English physician who first described Down's syndrome (1828-1896)
   - John Langdon Down, John L. H. Down

Derived forms: downed, Downs, downing, downs

See also: behind, dejected, descending, downbound, downcast, downfield, downward, fallen, falling, inoperative, low, lowered, lugubrious, out, perfect, set, thrown, weak

Type of: ameliorate, amend, better, defeat, doc [informal], doctor, Dr., drink, eat up, finish, get the better of, hair, highland, hit, imbibe, improve, MD, medico [informal], meliorate, mend, overcome, physician, pip, play, plume, polish off [informal], sawbones [informal], shoot, strike, turn, upland

Antonym: up

Encyclopedia: Down, James