step down
step down — phrasal verb
- step downbase form
- steps down3rd person singular
- stepping down-ing form
- stepped downpast simple
1. to give up a senior job or official role so that another person can take over fr
to give up a senior job or official role so that another person can take over from you
After fifteen years as mayor, Beatrix decided to step down before the next election.
step down after [time in role]
The coach agreed to step down as captain once the younger players were ready.
step down as + role
Pressure from shareholders forced Hugo to step down from the board within a week.
The minister promised to step down if the public ever lost trust in her.
Folake announced she would step down quietly and let her deputy run the company.
- take over
to start doing the job someone else has left
文法句型
step down (as + role)
step down (from + position)
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person holding a high office or leadership role (chairman, mayor, captain). Often followed by 'as' + the role being left or 'from' + the body being left.
常見錯誤
step down — verb
- step downpresent simple I / you / we / they
- steps down3rd person singular
- stepping down-ing form
- stepped downpast simple
1. to make the strength of an electric current weaker by passing it through a speci
to make the strength of an electric current weaker by passing it through a special device called a transformer
This transformer steps down the mains supply so the phone charger does not burn out.
step down + the supply/voltage
Engineers step down the high voltage before the power reaches homes in the valley.
The device steps down 240 volts to a level the small motor can safely use.
Padma checked that the unit could step down the current without overheating.
- step up
to increase the voltage instead of lowering it
文法句型
step down + voltage/current
用法筆記
Object is almost always 'voltage', 'current', or 'the supply'. The opposite operation, raising voltage, is 'step up'.
2. to make an amount, level, or rate smaller in planned stages rather than all at o
to make an amount, level, or rate smaller in planned stages rather than all at once
The doctor told Omar to step down the dose slowly over three weeks.
step down + the dose (in stages)
Managers chose to step down production gradually as orders began to fall.
The committee voted to step down funding for the project by ten percent each year.
Nurses help patients step down their medication once the pain is under control.
- reduce
general; 'step down' stresses doing it in stages
- scale back
informal; cutting size or activity, often for cost reasons
- taper
common with doses; reducing little by little to zero
文法句型
step down + amount
用法筆記
Implies a controlled, stepwise reduction, not a sudden cut. Distinguish from sense 1 (verb/1), which applies only to electrical voltage.
step down — noun
1. a drop in the size, amount, or level of something, usually happening little by l
a drop in the size, amount, or level of something, usually happening little by little
Workers welcomed the gradual step-down in weekly hours during the quiet season.
a step-down in + [amount]
Doctors planned a slow step-down from the strong painkiller to a milder one.
The budget showed a clear step-down in spending compared with last year.
Yael noticed a sharp step-down in noise once the factory closed at night.
文法句型
a step-down in + amount
用法筆記
Often written with a hyphen (step-down) when used as a noun. Frequently followed by 'in' + the thing being reduced.
step down — adjective
1. describing a piece of equipment that takes a strong electric current and turns i
describing a piece of equipment that takes a strong electric current and turns it into a weaker one
Christopher fitted a step-down transformer so the imported lamp would work safely.
step-down transformer
The factory uses a large step-down unit to feed power to its smaller machines.
A step-down adapter let Rohan plug his razor into the hotel socket abroad.
Without a step-down converter, the heater would draw far too much voltage.
- reducing
plain description; 'step-down' is the fixed technical label
- step-up
describing equipment that raises the voltage instead
文法句型
step-down + noun
用法筆記
Used only before a noun, typically a device such as 'transformer', 'converter', or 'adapter'. The opposite is a 'step-up' transformer.
常見錯誤
2. describing a hospital service that gives patients less close watching than inten
describing a hospital service that gives patients less close watching than intensive care, used when they are getting better
After surgery, Felipe was moved to a step-down ward for two more days of rest.
step-down ward/unit
The step-down unit watches patients less closely than the intensive care room next door.
Nurses on the step-down floor checked Eri's heart rate only once an hour.
Doctors send recovering patients to step-down care before they go home.
- intermediate
describes the in-between level of care between intensive and general
- intensive
the higher level of care with constant, close watching
文法句型
step-down + noun
用法筆記
Mainly American hospital usage. Used before nouns like 'unit', 'ward', or 'care'. Sits between intensive care and a normal ward.