downstairs

downstairs

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Pronunciation

/ˈdaʊn.stɛərz/

• Syllable 1: down

• /d/ - voiced alveolar plosive

• /aʊ/ - diphthong (as in "now")

• /n/ - voiced alveolar nasal

• Syllable 2: stairs

• /s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative

• /t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive

• /ɛə/ - diphthong (as in "fair")

• /r/ - voiced alveolar approximant

• /z/ - voiced alveolar fricative

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Word Form Variations

• Adverb: downstairs (most common use)

• Adjective: downstairs (e.g., "the downstairs bathroom")

• Noun: downstairs (e.g., "I'm going to the downstairs.")

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Adverb

• Definition 1: To or on a lower floor or level of a building.

• Synonyms: below, downwards, on a lower floor

• Antonyms: upstairs, aloft, upwards

• Definition 2: In or toward a lower social or hierarchical position or status (often used metaphorically, though less common than the literal sense).

• Synonyms: subordinate, inferior, lower

• Antonyms: superior, senior, higher

Adjective

• Definition 1: Located on a lower floor or level of a building.

• Synonyms: lower-level, ground-floor (if applicable), below-stairs

• Antonyms: upstairs, upper-level

Noun

• Definition 1: The lower floor or floors of a building.

• Synonyms: ground floor, lower level, basement (if applicable)

• Antonyms: upstairs, upper floor

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Examples of Use

Books:

• "He heard a clatter downstairs and wondered if his mother had finally woken up." (From Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens)

• "The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted up from downstairs." (From The Giver by Lois Lowry)

Newspapers:

• "A family was displaced after a fire started in a downstairs apartment unit early Monday morning." (As reported by The Charlotte Observer)

• "Police were called to a disturbance downstairs at the local pub." (The Guardian)

Online Publications:

• "Tips for optimizing your home office, whether it's in a dedicated room downstairs or a converted closet." (From an article on Lifehacker)

• "The article discusses how to soundproof a downstairs neighbor's ceiling." (From a post on Reddit's r/HomeImprovement)

Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:

• "Why don't you go downstairs and see if Dad needs any help?" (A line of dialogue from the TV show This Is Us, Season 5, Episode 10)

• "In the game, players must navigate a haunted mansion, with many secrets hidden downstairs." (Describing gameplay for the video game Luigi's Mansion 3)

• "The band played an acoustic set in the cozy downstairs bar." (From a review of a live music venue on Pitchfork)

General Public Discourse:

• "I'll be downstairs in a minute; I just need to grab my keys." (Heard in a casual conversation between roommates)

• "Did you check if the dog is downstairs?" (A common question asked within a household)

• "The meeting room is downstairs, first door on your left." (Instructions given in an office building)

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10 Quotes Using Downstairs

1. "Mind you, don't grow up to be a an artist, because if you do, you'll go stark raving mad and have to be kept downstairs in the pantry with the beer." (George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion, 1913)

2. "Tell 'em to go downstairs and make themselves at home. Tell 'em I'll be there in two minutes." (From the film Casablanca, 1942)

3. "I was thinking about the old days, when we used to sneak downstairs for midnight snacks." (A line of dialogue from The Cosby Show, Season 3, Episode 14, January 1987)

4. "Is the patient going to be all right?" "He's fine. They're taking him downstairs now for observation." (From the TV show ER, Season 1, Episode 1, September 1994)

5. "A man should keep his friendships in constant repair. He should also occasionally clean out the linen closet and sweep downstairs." (An adaptation of a quote by Samuel Johnson, popularized in various self-help contexts)

6. "He went downstairs, into the kitchen, and made himself some coffee." (From The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, 2005)

7. "I heard a noise downstairs and thought it was the cat." (From an interview with Stephen King discussing a plot point, October 2017)

8. "They took the equipment downstairs to the lab for testing." (From a news report about a scientific discovery, BBC News, June 2023)

9. "She remembered the old house, with its creaking stairs and the vast, dark space downstairs." (From Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, 1938)

10. "Tell her I'm downstairs in the study." (A common line of dialogue in period dramas, e.g., Downton Abbey, September 2010)

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Etymology

The word "downstairs" is essentially a combination of two older English words:

1. "Down": This word has been around in English for a very long time, coming from Old English "dūne" or "adūne," meaning "from a high place." It carries the basic idea of movement or position towards a lower point.

2. "Stairs": This also comes from Old English, "stæger," referring to a set of steps used to go up or down between levels in a building.

So, when you put them together, "downstairs" quite literally means "down the stairs" or "on the level reached by going down the stairs."

First Known Use and Meaning:

The word "downstairs" in the sense we use it today (meaning "to or on a lower floor") started appearing in the English language around the early 15th century.

Initially, it was often written as two separate words, like "down stairs." Over time, it became more common to write it as a single compound word, "downstairs." Its primary meaning from its first use was exactly what it implies: referring to the lower part of a building, usually accessed by a staircase.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Downstairs

1. "Head downstairs": To go to a lower floor.

2. "Live downstairs": To reside on a lower floor of a building.

3. "The downstairs neighbor": A person who lives in the apartment or unit on the floor below yours.

4. "Move downstairs": To relocate to a lower level within the same building.

5. "Come downstairs": To descend from an upper floor to a lower one.

6. "Something's going on downstairs": A phrase indicating activity or an event happening on a lower level.

7. "The downstairs area": Referring to the lower section or floor of a house or building.

8. "Keep it downstairs": In some contexts, this can be an informal way of saying "keep it private" or "keep it quiet," especially if referring to something happening in a more secluded lower area. (Lesser-known/original usage based on the idea of a less public space).

9. "Taking it downstairs": This can literally mean moving an object to a lower floor, or metaphorically, taking a problem to a more fundamental or basic level. (Original phrasing, drawing on literal and figurative senses).

10. "Everything's below deck": An idiom using a synonym ("below") to mean something is hidden or happening out of sight, similar to something being "downstairs" and out of the main view.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

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

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