get down
phrasal verb.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.
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.
- depress
- sadden
- discourage
- bum out
- Particles
- down
- Separability
- optional
- Pattern
- get + object + down
usually takes a person as the direct object.
contrast with the literal 'get down' (to descend) or the informal 'get down' (to dance); this emotional sense is very common in daily conversation.
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.
Last updated April 24, 2026