Phrasal verb
get down
Definition
phrasal verb. to make someone feel sad or lose their energy. You use this when a situation or person makes you feel unhappy.
phrasal verb. to cause someone to feel depressed, demoralized, or discouraged; transitive, usually inseparable when used in this emotional sense.
Examples
“This rainy weather really gets me down.”
“Don't let the stress of the new project get you down; we can finish it together.”
“The constant criticism from his supervisor began to get him down, eventually affecting his productivity and overall mental well-being.”
Examples
simple
“This rainy weather really gets me down.”
contextual
“Don't let the stress of the new project get you down; we can finish it together.”
complex
“The constant criticism from his supervisor began to get him down, eventually affecting his productivity and overall mental well-being.”
Usage
usually takes a person as the direct object.
Teaching tip
contrast with the literal 'get down' (to descend) or the informal 'get down' (to dance); this emotional sense is very common in daily conversation.
Pitfall
The bad news got down me.
The bad news got me down.
when the object is a pronoun, it must come between the verb and the particle in this phrasal verb structure.
Phrasal verb
Particles
down
Separability
optional
Pattern
get + object + down
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/get-down