downing
downing — adjective
1. feeling sad and lacking energy or enthusiasm, often without a clear reason
feeling sad and lacking energy or enthusiasm, often without a clear reason
Mei-Lin has been feeling down since her best friend moved to a new city.
feel + down + since + [event]
Hiroshi felt really down about failing his driving test.
down + about + [reason]
The rainy weather made everyone at the office feel a bit down.
Luis felt down for months after losing his job at the factory.
Nadia looked down all week after her cat ran away from home.
文法句型
be + down
feel + down
down + about + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used in the pattern 'feel down about [something]'. This sense describes a temporary low mood rather than a long-term clinical condition.
常見錯誤
2. (of a computer system, website, or machine) not working for a short time
(of a computer system, website, or machine) not working for a short time
Sofia could not finish her homework because the school website was down.
website + be + down
The factory's main system went down for three hours yesterday afternoon.
system + go + down + for + duration
Chidi called technical support when his email server went down.
The library's online catalog was down, so students could not search for books.
Amir could not use the ATM because the network was down.
- offline
specifically for computers and networks
- not working
more general, describes any kind of failure
- out of order
usually for public machines like vending machines or toilets
文法句型
be + down
go + down
down + for + duration
用法筆記
Subject is usually a computer system, website, server, or network. This sense does not apply to individual items like light bulbs or household appliances.
常見錯誤
downing — adverb
1. moving from a higher place to one that is lower — for example, when snow falls f
moving from a higher place to one that is lower — for example, when snow falls from the sky, a ball rolls off a table, or someone climbs from a roof to the ground.
Snowflakes drifted down from the grey winter sky and covered the street.
verb of motion + down for downward movement
Mei climbed carefully down the ladder to reach the ground floor.
A coin fell down the drain and disappeared before anyone could grab it.
The old photograph floated down and landed softly on the wooden floor.
- up
opposite direction, from lower to higher
文法句型
verb of motion + down
用法筆記
This is the most basic directional sense. Common with verbs of motion such as fall, climb, go, come, drop, roll, and float.
常見錯誤
2. coming from a higher position and making contact with a surface, or settling fir
coming from a higher position and making contact with a surface, or settling firmly into a fixed position — for example, sitting down on a chair, putting a book onto a table, or pressing a button until it clicks.
Sofia sat down on the park bench and opened her novel.
sit + down for settling into a sitting position
Wei put the heavy cardboard box down on the kitchen counter.
The librarian laid the rare manuscript down on a white velvet cloth.
Amara pressed down firmly on the suitcase lid until it clicked shut.
- up
away from a surface into a raised position
文法句型
verb + down
sit + down
put + down
press + down
用法筆記
Commonly pairs with verbs that describe placing something onto a surface (put, lay, set) or applying pressure (press, push, hold). Unlike sense 1, the movement here ends with contact against a surface.
3. showing a reduction in amount, degree, strength, or complexity — for example, wh
showing a reduction in amount, degree, strength, or complexity — for example, when prices fall, the wind calms, an engine slows, or water reduces to a smaller amount through boiling.
The temperature dropped sharply down to five degrees below zero last night.
verb of reduction + down for decrease
Elena turned the volume down so the baby could sleep peacefully.
Deepak managed to narrow the candidate list down to just three people.
The doctor told Fatima to slow down and take a long deep breath.
Prices for fresh fruit usually come down after the summer harvest season.
- up
increase in amount, degree, or level
文法句型
verb + down
go + down
calm + down
turn + down
slow + down
用法筆記
Subject is typically a measurable quantity (temperature, price, volume, speed) or a person's state (excitement, pace). Frequently combines with phrasal-verb-like combinations such as calm down, turn down, slow down, and narrow down.
常見錯誤
4. used after verbs such as burn, cut, knock, pull, or tear to mean causing somethi
used after verbs such as burn, cut, knock, pull, or tear to mean causing something to collapse or hit the ground, usually breaking or suffering damage in the process.
The workers tore the old brick warehouse down to make space for a park.
tear + down for demolishing a structure
A strong winter wind blew the garden fence down during the night storm.
Omar's dog knocked the flower vase down and it shattered on the tiles.
The city government decided to pull the dangerous building down immediately.
- up
building or constructing (build up, put up)
文法句型
verb of destruction + down
用法筆記
This sense always follows a transitive verb of destruction — it is never used on its own. The object is the thing that falls. Common verbs include burn down, cut down, knock down, pull down, tear down, and blow down.
常見錯誤
5. put into written or recorded form on paper or in a document — for example, writi
put into written or recorded form on paper or in a document — for example, writing a phone number on a list or copying instructions from a whiteboard.
Yuki wrote down the appointment date in her small leather notebook.
write + down for recording information on paper
The students copied the grammar rules down from the whiteboard carefully.
Liam noted down every address the estate agent mentioned during the tour.
The secretary put the customer's complaint down in the official log book.
文法句型
write + down
copy + down
note + down
put + down
用法筆記
This sense typically combines with verbs of recording (write, copy, note, put, jot, set). The written record can be anything from a quick personal note to a formal document.
常見錯誤
6. indicates somewhere is a long way from your current location or from a major urb
indicates somewhere is a long way from your current location or from a major urban centre; often used with prepositions such as 'in', 'out', or 'off'
Ananya lives down in the countryside, about an hour from the city.
down + in + location for remote places
Chidi was stuck down on a narrow dirt road when his van broke down.
The cabin sits down deep in the forest where no phone signal reaches.
Mei-Lin drove down to the lake for a weekend camping trip with friends.
Kenji's grandparents are down in Florida for the winter this year.
- up
used for places closer to a centre or higher in altitude
文法句型
down + [preposition] + [location noun phrase]
用法筆記
This sense is most common with prepositions that emphasise remoteness: down in, down at, down by, down on, down off. The speaker is usually in or near a central location and describing somewhere far away.
7. in or toward the south; to a place that is further south
in or toward the south; to a place that is further south
Every autumn the geese fly down to warmer wetlands for the winter.
down + to for southward movement of animals
Elena moved down to Texas for a research position at the medical school.
The river flows down from the northern mountains all the way to the coast.
Satoshi sailed down the coast, stopping at small fishing villages along the way.
The storm is heading down the coast and should reach the port by midnight.
文法句型
down + [direction/location]
down + [coast/river/road]
用法筆記
Frequently used with go, move, head, travel, fly, and flow. In some contexts (like down the coast or down the river) the direction may also imply following a route, not strictly south.
常見錯誤
8. passed through family lines from earlier generations to later ones, or preserved
passed through family lines from earlier generations to later ones, or preserved from past eras into the present day
This bracelet has been passed down through four generations of Zara's family.
pass down + through + [number] generations
Many traditional folk songs have come down to us from the medieval period.
Omar's recipe was handed down from his grandfather who owned a bakery in Cairo.
Those customs have survived down to the present day with very few changes.
Stories of the great flood have been passed down from one village elder to the next.
文法句型
[verb] down + [from + person/time] + [to + person/time]
用法筆記
Most common with the verbs pass, hand, come, survive, and carry, often in passive or perfect constructions. The 'from…to…' frame makes the direction of transmission explicit.
9. into the stomach, used especially when talking about swallowing food, drink, or
into the stomach, used especially when talking about swallowing food, drink, or medicine
Aiko drank the warm soup quickly and felt it go down to her empty stomach.
go down for swallowing sensation
The child ate a chocolate bar and washed it down with a glass of cold milk.
The medicine went down easily because it was mixed with orange juice.
Nadia could not keep any food down after the long boat trip across the lake.
Olga swallowed the large vitamin pill and forced it down with a gulp of water.
- inside
more general; down specifically describes the direction into the digestive tract
文法句型
[verb] + [object] + down
[verb] down + [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Commonly paired with go down (swallow easily), get down (manage to swallow), keep down (retain in the stomach without vomiting), and wash down (drink after eating). Subject is often food, drink, or medicine.
常見錯誤
10. as the first part of the total price, paid immediately when you agree to purchas
as the first part of the total price, paid immediately when you agree to purchase something, with the remaining amount to be paid in instalments
Mateo put five thousand dollars down on a used car and financed the rest.
put + [amount] + down + on + [purchase]
You must pay ten percent down when you sign the contract for the house.
Sofia put a large sum down on her first apartment last spring.
The buyer made a generous cash deposit down on the store that morning.
Priya decided to put more money down so her monthly payments would be lower.
- deposit
a more general term; down specifically emphasises the upfront portion of a larger purchase
文法句型
put + [amount] + down + on + [purchase]
用法筆記
Almost always used with put or pay followed by an amount. The object of on is the thing being bought (a house, car, business). This sense does not apply to services or rent payments.
常見錯誤
downing — noun
1. the small, soft feathers that cover young birds and are used as filling for warm
the small, soft feathers that cover young birds and are used as filling for warm coats, pillows, and quilts, or very fine, light-coloured hair that grows on a person's face or body
Theo's winter jacket is filled with goose down, so it keeps him warm in the snow.
down as filling material for clothing
Zara noticed the soft down on her baby's arms and smiled.
down as fine hair on skin
The hotel pillows were stuffed with pure down, making them very comfortable.
Baby ducks are covered in yellow down before their adult feathers grow.
A soft blonde down covered the boy's cheeks and upper lip.
用法筆記
Bird-related uses (goose down, duck down, down-filled) are far more common than the body-hair sense, which usually describes a baby's or young person's facial hair.
常見錯誤
2. a strong feeling of not liking someone, often for a reason that is not fair or r
a strong feeling of not liking someone, often for a reason that is not fair or reasonable
Priya seems to have a down on her new boss for no clear reason.
idiomatic: have a down on [someone]
Linnea could not understand why her teacher had such a down on her.
Mika always felt her teammates had a down on her, though she never knew why.
The visitors had a down on the whole neighbourhood after their car was stolen.
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the fixed pattern 'have a down on [someone]'. Almost always informal and British in use.
常見錯誤
downing — preposition
1. used to show that someone or something moves from one point to another along or
used to show that someone or something moves from one point to another along or through a continuous space such as a road, river, hallway, or path
The mail carrier walked slowly down the long driveway to deliver the package.
down + noun phrase (path/road): movement along a path
Tears ran down her cheeks as she listened to the sad story.
down + body part: liquid flowing along a surface
A group of tourists walked down the narrow street taking photos of the old buildings.
The nurse pushed the wheelchair down the hospital corridor toward the exit.
Fallen leaves floated gently down the stream after the autumn rain.
- along
emphasises the length of the path rather than direction; 'walk along the beach' vs 'walk down the beach'
- through
suggests moving from one side or end of a space to the other; 'walk through the tunnel' implies entering and exiting
- across
implies crossing a space sideways rather than following its length; 'walk across the street' vs 'walk down the street'
- up
indicates movement toward a higher point; 'walk up the stairs' vs 'walk down the stairs'
文法句型
down + noun phrase (path/road/river/hallway)
常見錯誤
downing — verb
1. to force a person, animal, or aircraft down onto the ground from above, especial
to force a person, animal, or aircraft down onto the ground from above, especially by hitting or shooting at them
The soldiers downed the enemy drone with a single well-aimed shot.
down + object (flying target) — military context
A strong linebacker downed the running back just inches from the goal line.
The storm downed power lines across three neighbourhoods last night.
Binta downed the pheasant with a single shot from her grandfather's rifle.
- bring down
phrasal verb, same meaning
- shoot down
specifically by shooting
- fell
more formal, used for trees or large animals
- tackle
specifically in sports, grabbing to bring to ground
文法句型
down + object (person / animal / flying object)
用法筆記
Object is typically a person, animal, aircraft, or tree. Frequently used in news reports about military action, storms, or American football.
常見錯誤
2. to drink a beverage or eat a portion of food very rapidly, usually in a single a
to drink a beverage or eat a portion of food very rapidly, usually in a single action
After the long run, Wei downed a whole bottle of water in ten seconds.
down + object (beverage) — speed implied
The children downed their pizza slices and ran back outside to play.
Santiago downed his coffee and rushed out the door to catch the train.
Mika downed three aspirin tablets with a sip of water and lay down on the couch.
文法句型
down + object (food/drink/medicine)
用法筆記
Often used for beverages or single-portion food items. Implies speed above all; the manner of eating or drinking is irrelevant. Cannot be used for a slow, leisurely meal.
常見錯誤
3. to beat an opposing player or team in a sports match or competition
to beat an opposing player or team in a sports match or competition
The home team downed their rivals three goals to one in the final match.
down + object (opponent team) — sports context
Zara downed the defending champion in straight sets at the tennis tournament.
The underdog boxer downed the title holder in the fifth round with a powerful punch.
Kwame downed his chess opponent in just fifteen moves during the school competition.
- lose to
be defeated by an opponent
- surrender to
give up to the other side
文法句型
down + object (opponent/team)
用法筆記
Primarily used in sports journalism. More dramatic than simply saying 'beat' or 'defeat.' Distinguish from sense 1 (BRING DOWN): in sports 'down' does not mean literally falling to the ground — it is purely about winning.