Welcome to our fun exploration of idioms that include the word “down”! Idioms are phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say but have a special meaning known to people who speak the language. Let’s dive into the colorful world of “down” idioms and discover what each one means and how you can use them in sentences!
Down Idioms
Here are 20 down idioms in English.
1. Down to Earth
Meaning: Practical and realistic
Example: She’s very down to earth about her plans.
2. Down and Out
Meaning: Lacking money or resources
Example: He felt down and out after losing his job.
3. Down in the Dumps
Meaning: Feeling sad or depressed
Example: She’s been down in the dumps lately.
4. Down the Hatch
Meaning: Used when drinking something
Example: Down the hatch went the bitter medicine.
5. Down to the Wire
Meaning: Until the last moment
Example: The race was exciting, down to the wire.
6. Down the Drain
Meaning: Wasted or lost
Example: His efforts went down the drain.
7. Down for the Count
Meaning: Temporarily defeated
Example: After the long hike, I was down for the count.
8. Double Down
Meaning: To increase one’s effort or focus
Example: He doubled down on his studying.
9. Down and Dirty
Meaning: Involved in the basic, gritty details
Example: They got down and dirty with the renovation.
10. Tone Down
Meaning: Make less intense or severe
Example: She toned down her argument.
11. Buckle Down
Meaning: Start working seriously
Example: It’s time to buckle down for exams.
12. Knock Down
Meaning: Reduce the price of something
Example: They knocked down the prices for clearance.
13. Lay Down the Law
Meaning: State rules or expectations very clearly
Example: The teacher laid down the law on cheating.
14. Hunt Down
Meaning: Search for and find something
Example: He hunted down the rare book.
15. Water Down
Meaning: Make something less effective
Example: They watered down the proposal too much.
16. Shoot Down
Meaning: Reject ideas or proposals quickly
Example: Her plan was quickly shot down.
17. Wind Down
Meaning: Relax or take a break to relax
Example: Let’s wind down this weekend.
18. Dress Down
Meaning: Wear less formal clothes
Example: Fridays are dress down days at work.
19. Scale Down
Meaning: Reduce in size or amount
Example: They scaled down the project’s budget.
20. Cool Down
Meaning: Relax or become less angry
Example: He cooled down after the argument.
