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90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

adjective, adverb, preposition
  1. 1
    to or toward a lower place
    1. a.
      moving toward a lower place or position

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

      Describing movement up or down: upward, downward, ascending, up, down, bouncy, under, skyward... more
    2. b.
      from a higher place to the ground

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

      Describing movement up or down: upward, downward, ascending, up, down, bouncy, under, skyward... more
    3. c.
      looking, pointing, or leading to a lower place
    4. d.
      used for saying that you put something you are carrying onto a lower surface
  2. 2
    in a lower place or at a lower level

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

    At a low position or level: low, down, bottom, lower, sunken, depressed, below, low-level, subnormal, rock bottom... more
  3. 3
    into or in a sitting or lying position
    1. a.
      moving your body into a sitting, bending, or lying position

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

      To sit or lie down: bed down, bunk, collapse, cuddle up, curl up, down, fall, flop, hunker down, lay... more
    2. b.
      remaining in a sitting, lying, or bending position

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

      To sit or lie down: bed down, bunk, collapse, cuddle up, curl up, down, fall, flop, hunker down, lay... more
  4. 4
    in a direction away from you
    1. a.
      moving or looking along a road, path, etc.

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

      Describing movement towards a place or person: direct, advancing, oncoming, ahead, up, forward, into, across, bound for something, from all sides... more
    2. b.
      moving or looking along a river in the same direction as the current

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

      Movements of water: course, current, down, drip, ebb, eddy, flow, flush, in, maelstrom... more
    3. c.
      at a point somewhere on a road, path, etc. in a direction away from you

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

      Describing movement away and changes of direction: away, backward, around, back, up, down, against, about, outside, onward... more
    4. d.
      at a point farther along a river in the direction of the current

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

      Movements of water: course, current, down, drip, ebb, eddy, flow, flush, in, maelstrom... more
  5. 5
    spoken at or to a place that is near you

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

    Function words referring to location: about, across, after, ahead, along, apart, around, before, beyond, by... more
  6. 6
    south
    1. a.
      going toward the south

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

      Describing movement in a specific direction: ahead, around, clockwise, counterclockwise, cross-country, down, downwind, eastbound, homeward, left... more
    2. b.
      in a place that is to the south of where you are

      *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

      Function words referring to location: about, across, after, ahead, along, apart, around, before, beyond, by... more
  8. 8
    used for saying that something is damaged or destroyed and falls to the ground

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

    Broken, torn or damaged: broken, faulty, flawed, wrecked, trashed, shot, apart, battered, down, kaput... more
  10. 10
    used for saying that something is fastened or stuck to a surface

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

    Function words referring to location: about, across, after, ahead, along, apart, around, before, beyond, by... more
  13. 13
    used for saying that someone has an illness

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

    Feeling and being unhealthy or ill: ill, frail, unfit, worse, fragile, infectious, unhealthy, failing, unwell, sick... more
  15. 15
    informal unhappy or sad

    *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of down*

    Feeling sad or unhappy: sad, unhappy, gloomy, miserable, melancholy, sorrowful, subdued, bleak, wistful, homesick... more

phrases

These are synonyms and/or related words for down in the American English Thesaurus. View synonyms and/or related words for down in the British English Thesaurus.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

vocal fry

a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day Word of the Day

dray

a type of cart pulled by a horse and used in the past for carrying barrels of beer

Open Dictionary

conflict mineral

a mineral which is mined in a place where there is armed conflict, and sold to help pay for weapons

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