# settle down

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/settle-down
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to start living a quiet, stable life in one place, often by getting married or buying a house. It also means to become calm and quiet after being excited or noisy.

For teachers: to adopt a stable, routine-oriented lifestyle, often involving permanent residence or marriage. It also functions as an intransitive verb meaning to become calm, orderly, or composed.

## Examples

- They want to settle down and start a family soon.
- After years of traveling the world as a photographer, he finally decided to settle down in a small village in France.
- The restless political climate began to settle down after the new administration implemented several key economic reforms aimed at stabilizing the currency.

## Pitfalls

- Not "After the party, the kids finally settled down themselves." but "After the party, the kids finally settled down." — the verb is intransitive in this sense, so it does not require a reflexive pronoun like 'themselves'.

## Usage notes

- This phrasal verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'settle for' to avoid confusion, and note that 'settle down' can describe both a long-term life choice and a short-term change in behavior.

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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.