get down
phrasal verb·5 senses·particle down
Meanings
Descend or lower yourself
Why “down”? Movement goes from high to low.
“Get down from that ladder!”
“The cat got down from the wall.”
“She got down on her knees to look under the sofa.”
Depress someone emotionally
Why “down”? A structure, a system, or someone's mood can go down when it fails.
“The grey weather is getting me down.”
“The bad news got him down.”
“The constant rain was really getting everyone down.”
Capture in writing or recording
Why “down”? Information is fixed in words, on paper or in a recording.
“Did you get all that down on tape?”
“The reporter got the quote down.”
Swallow food, drink, or medicine, especially with difficulty
Why “down”? Food, drink, or medicine goes down the throat into the body.
“Leo got down a bite of dry cafe cake with a sip of water during the shopping break.”
“I can't get this pill down.”
“She got the medicine down with water.”
“Try to get a little soup down before sleeping.”
Begin to focus seriously on a task
Why “down”? Strong feelings or energy become lower and calmer.
“Leo got down to work at the library after his bus ride.”
“When the meeting started, we got down to business.”
Don't confuse with
Get down means descend or lower yourself. Get up means move from lying or sitting to an upright or standing position.
Test yourself
“Get down from that ladder!” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
get up
A contrast learners often mix up
Move from lying or sitting to an upright or standing position; Increase in strength
back down
Same down pattern: losing
Withdraw from a position
bear down
Same down pattern: downward
Move quickly and threateningly toward someone
beat down
Same down pattern: downward
(of sun or rain) fall strongly and steadily
bend down
Same down pattern: downward
Lean the upper body downward
blow down
Same down pattern: downward
Cause something to fall by blowing
break down
Same down pattern: losing
(of a vehicle or machine) stop working; Lose emotional control and start crying; Separate something into smaller parts to understand it; (of negotiations or relationships) fail or end; Force a door open by hitting it; Decompose into simpler chemical substances
bring down
Same down pattern: downward
Cause something to fall or land; Make something lower in level or amount; Cause a government or leader to lose power; Make someone feel sad or depressed
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