English Reference

Phrasal verb

be down with

Definition

phrasal verb. to agree with an idea or plan, or to be happy to join an activity. You use this when you think something is a good idea.

phrasal verb. to be in agreement with or supportive of a proposal, sentiment, or activity; often used in informal or colloquial registers to indicate consent or enthusiasm.

Examples

“I am totally down with going to the beach today.”

“If everyone else wants to order pizza for the meeting, I'm down with that.”

“While some traditionalists resisted the rebranding, most of the younger staff members were immediately down with the new creative direction.”

Examples

simple

“I am totally down with going to the beach today.”

contextual

“If everyone else wants to order pizza for the meeting, I'm down with that.”

complex

“While some traditionalists resisted the rebranding, most of the younger staff members were immediately down with the new creative direction.”

Usage

highly informal; usually follows the verb 'to be' and is followed by a noun or a gerund.

Teaching tip

note the difference between this and 'come down with' (getting sick); this version is about social agreement and is very common in modern pop culture.

Pitfall

I down with the plan.

I am down with the plan.

this phrase requires the verb 'to be' to function as the main verb of the sentence.

Phrasal verb

Particles

down with

Separability

inseparable

Pattern

be + down + with + object

Synonyms

on boardinto itin favor ofagreeing to

Antonyms

againstopposed to

Grammar

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference