# down

/ˈdaʊn/ (US) · /dˈaʊn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/down
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to a lower position

adverb · CEFR A1

moving from a higher place to a lower one.

For teachers: indicating movement or position from a higher to a lower level or towards the ground.

- The cat jumped down from the high fence into the garden.
- The climbers began their descent, carefully navigating the rocky path down to the base camp before the storm arrived.

### 2. not working

adverb · CEFR B1

when a computer or machine stops working.

For teachers: referring to a state of non-operation or temporary failure, especially of a computer system or network.

- The website is down for maintenance until tomorrow morning.
- The entire internal network went down after the power surge, leaving the staff unable to access the central database for several hours.

### 3. along a path

preposition · CEFR A1

moving along or further along a road, river, or path.

For teachers: indicating movement along the course of a road, path, or river, not necessarily involving a change in elevation.

- We took a long walk down the street to look at the shop windows.
- They drove down the coast for three hours, stopping occasionally to admire the view of the cliffs and the ocean.

### 4. unhappy

adjective · CEFR A2 · Informal

feeling sad, depressed, or without hope.

For teachers: experiencing a state of low spirits, sadness, or clinical depression.

- He has been feeling a bit down since his best friend moved away.
- She felt remarkably down after the project was cancelled, despite having several other successful initiatives already in progress.

### 5. agreeing to something

adjective · CEFR B2 · Slang · American English

willing to do something or agreeing with an idea.

For teachers: expressing willingness, agreement, or enthusiasm for a proposed activity or concept.

- If you guys are going to the cinema tonight, I am totally down.
- Most of the team members were down for a weekend retreat, provided the location was within a reasonable driving distance.

### 6. to drink quickly

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to drink something very fast, often finishing the whole glass at once.

For teachers: to consume a liquid rapidly, typically in a single continuous action.

- He downed the glass of water in one go after his long run.
- The exhausted marathon runner downed a litre of electrolyte solution before even attempting to speak to the waiting journalists.

### 7. soft feathers

noun · CEFR B2

the very soft, light feathers of young birds, used to fill warm jackets and pillows.

For teachers: the layer of fine, soft feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers of birds, valued for its thermal insulation properties.

- This winter coat is filled with goose down to keep you warm.
- The high-end sleeping bag utilised ethically sourced down to ensure maximum warmth-to-weight ratio for alpine expeditions.

### 8. rolling hills

noun · CEFR C1 · British English

open, grassy hills, especially in the south of England.

For teachers: an area of open, undulating upland or chalk hills, typically used for grazing.

- We spent the afternoon hiking across the green downs.
- The South Downs provide a stunning landscape of rolling chalk hills that have inspired poets and painters for centuries.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.