down

down

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Pronunciation

The IPA phonetic spelling for "down" is /daʊn/.

Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:

• down:

• /d/ - voiced alveolar plosive

• /aʊ/ - diphthong (starts like 'ah' and moves towards 'oo')

• /n/ - voiced alveolar nasal

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Word Form Variations

• down (base form, singular noun, present tense verb)

• downs (plural noun, third-person singular present tense verb)

• downing (present participle verb)

• downed (past tense verb, past participle verb)

• downer (noun, informal, referring to something that causes sadness or depression, or a depressant drug)

• downest (superlative adjective, less common but grammatically possible)

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Adverb

• Definition 1: From a higher to a lower place or position.

• Synonyms: downward, below, beneath, lower

• Antonyms: up, upward, above, aloft

• Definition 2: In or into a state of less activity, intensity, or volume.

• Synonyms: quieter, softer, slower, less, diminished

• Antonyms: up, louder, faster, more, increased

• Definition 3: Indicating a negative or unfavorable state or outcome.

• Synonyms: failing, losing, worse, negative

• Antonyms: up, winning, better, positive

Preposition

• Definition 1: Moving from a higher to a lower point of something.

• Synonyms: along, past, through (when implying movement from higher to lower)

• Antonyms: up, atop, over

• Definition 2: Along the course of a river, road, or similar path.

• Synonyms: along, parallel to, beside

• Antonyms: across, perpendicular to

Adjective

• Definition 1: Directed or moving to a lower place.

• Synonyms: descending, lowering, downward

• Antonyms: up, ascending, rising, upward

• Definition 2: Unhappy, sad, or depressed.

• Synonyms: disheartened, dejected, blue, glum, despondent

• Antonyms: up, happy, cheerful, elated, joyful

• Definition 3: Not working or functioning; out of operation.

• Synonyms: broken, inoperative, out of order, non-functional

• Antonyms: up, working, operational, functional

Noun

• Definition 1: A period of misfortune, decline, or depression.

• Synonyms: slump, downturn, low point, recession

• Antonyms: up, boom, upturn, high point

• Definition 2: Soft, fine feathers found on young birds or beneath the coarser feathers of adult birds.

• Synonyms: fluff, plumage, fuzz, undercoat

• Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as this refers to a specific material)

Verb

• Definition 1: To bring or put into a lower position.

• Synonyms: lower, put down, depress, drop

• Antonyms: raise, lift, elevate, hoist

• Definition 2: To defeat or overcome, often decisively.

• Synonyms: overpower, conquer, subdue, vanquish, beat

• Antonyms: surrender, yield, lose, give up

• Definition 3: To consume a food or drink, often quickly.

• Synonyms: gulp, devour, quaff, ingest

• Antonyms: abstain, avoid, refrain

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Examples of Use

Books:

• "He sank down into the armchair, a sigh escaping him as the day's weariness finally caught up." (Fictional novel, author's work)

• "The economic forecast showed a significant downturn in manufacturing for the third quarter." (Non-fiction business book, e.g., Economics in Our Time)

Newspapers:

• "Local authorities have cracked down on illegal street vendors in the city center." ("City News Herald," June 25, 2025)

• "Stock markets were down sharply yesterday following unexpected inflation figures." ("The Financial Times," June 29, 2025)

• "The police reported a downsizing of the department by 15%." ("Daily Chronicle," June 28, 2025)

Online Publications:

• "Experts weigh in on why the housing market is heading down this year." ("Property Pulse," June 27, 2025)

• "TikTok users are getting down to business with new marketing strategies." ("Digital Trends," June 26, 2025)

• "Our servers were down for maintenance for approximately two hours last night." ("Tech Support Daily," June 29, 2025)

Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:

• Film: (Dialogue from a movie) "Get down! There's a sniper!" (The Protector, 2004)

• Television Series: (Episode title) "Going Down Swinging" ( Friday Night Lights, 2008)

• Music/Song Lyrics: "You got me feeling so down, so low." ("Down" by Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne, 2009)

• Video Games: (In-game notification) "Player 2 is down!" (Call of Duty)

• Podcast: "Today, we're sitting down with a renowned expert to discuss climate change." (The Daily)

General Public Discourse:

• "I'm feeling a bit down today, just tired." (Casual conversation between friends)

• "Could you please put the box down gently?" (Instruction from one person to another)

• "The car broke down on the highway." (Everyday description of an event)

• "Are you down for a movie tonight?" (Informal invitation or query about willingness)

• "We need to nail down the details for the presentation." (Business meeting discussion)

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10 Famous Quotes Using Down

1. "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up." (Vince Lombardi)

2. "A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down." (Arnold H. Glasow)

3. "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." (Steve Jobs)

4. "If you fell down yesterday, stand up today." (H. G. Wells)

5. "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." (Winston Churchill)

6. "Believe in yourself, take on your challenges, dig deep within yourself to conquer fears. Never let anyone bring you down. You got to keep going." (Chantal Sutherland)

7. "Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious." (Stephen Hawking)

8. "Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door." (Kyle Chandler)

9. "Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong." (Muhammad Ali)

10. "The police protect and serve the government and corporations, the common people are way down the list." (Steven Magee)

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Etymology

The word "down" has a long and interesting history, tracing its roots back to ancient Germanic languages.

Think of it this way: imagine a big, open, rolling piece of land. That's essentially where "down" comes from.

Its earliest known use and meaning can be found in Old English, where the word was "dūn." This "dūn" literally meant "hill" or "height."

So, initially, "down" referred to an elevated place, like a hill. This might seem counterintuitive to our modern understanding of "down" as meaning lower.

However, over time, the meaning shifted. When you talk about going "down a hill," you are moving from the elevated place to a lower one. This concept of movement from a height is what eventually led to "down" taking on its common meaning of "towards a lower place."

You can still see traces of its original meaning in words like "downs" (as in the North Downs in England), which refers to rolling hills or elevated open land.

So, to sum it up, "down" started as "hill," then evolved to mean moving from a hill, and finally settled on its current primary meaning of moving to a lower position.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Down

• Down in the dumps: Feeling sad or depressed.

• Down to earth: Practical, realistic, and unpretentious.

• Down for the count: Defeated or no longer able to participate.

• Down and out: Having no money, no job, and no place to live.

• Down the drain: Wasted or lost permanently.

• Down pat: Fully mastered or memorized.

• Down on your luck: Experiencing a period of misfortune.

• Down to the wire: Until the very last moment or the very end.

• Down with something/someone: To strongly disapprove of or oppose something/someone.

• Lay down the law: To assert one's authority and set rules firmly.

• Come down to it: When the most important or essential aspect of a situation is considered.

• Get down to business: To start focusing on serious work.

• Put down roots: To settle in a place and establish a permanent life.

• Talk someone down: To calm or persuade someone who is agitated.

• Live it down: To overcome the embarrassment or shame of a past mistake.

• Go down well: To be received positively.

• Break down: To stop functioning (for a machine) or to lose emotional control (for a person).

• Run down: To be in poor condition due to lack of maintenance, or to speak negatively about someone.

• Turn down: To refuse an offer or request, or to decrease the volume/intensity.

• Down in flames: To fail spectacularly.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of down from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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