Bring down meaning
Bring down means to make something lower, like prices, costs or a temperature. It can also mean to make a government or leader lose power.
bring something down
bring down · brought · bringing
The shop has brought down its prices for the sale.
Bring down meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Make something lower, like prices, costs or a temperature
bring something down
- The shop has brought down its prices for the sale.
- Drink water and rest. It’ll help bring your fever down.
- Solar panels brought down our electricity bill a lot.
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2
Make a government or leader lose power
bring somebody or something down
- The scandal brought down the prime minister.
- Mass protests helped bring down the old regime.
- One small mistake could bring the whole team down.
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3
Make someone feel sad or less happy
bring somebody down
- Don’t let one bad review bring you down.
- Grey winter days really bring me down.
- He’s always negative. He brings everyone down.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use bring down in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is bring down separable?
Bring down is separable: bring down prices or bring prices down. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: bring it down, bring me down.
In the feel sad meaning, the person almost always goes in the middle: The news brought her down. Bring down the house means a show got huge applause.
Verb tenses for bring down
| Present | I bring down · she brings down |
|---|---|
| Past | brought down |
| Present perfect | have brought down |
| -ing form | bringing down |
Common mistakes with bring down
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: This weather really brings down me.
Right: This weather really brings me down.
A pronoun goes between bring and down.
Wrong: Sorry I brought you down. I promised to come.
Right: Sorry I let you down. I promised to come.
Let down means disappoint someone by not doing what you promised.
Wrong: Can you bring down your voice? The baby’s asleep.
Right: Can you lower your voice? The baby’s asleep.
For voices, say lower your voice or keep it down.
Synonyms and opposites of bring down
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- cut downdo or use less of something yourself
- lowerthe one-word verb for reducing a level
- let downdisappoint someone, a different kind of sad
Opposite
- put upUK, raise prices or costs
- cheer upmake someone feel happier
Bring down quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The new supermarket has ___ the price of fruit in our town.
Bring down a price means make it lower.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes in the middle: bring you down.
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3“The election result brought down the government.” What happened?
Bring down a government means make it lose power.
More phrasal verbs with bring
All phrasal verbs with bring, by level, with an exercise
7 phrasal verbs start with bring. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- bring backB1return with something, or take something back to where it was
- bring upB2start talking about a subject
- bring aboutC1make something happen, usually a change
- bring inB2start using a new law, rule or system
- bring outB2make a new product, book or album available to buy
- bring togetherB2make people meet, work together or feel closer
Bring down FAQ
Questions people ask about bring down.
What does don’t let it bring you down mean?
It means do not let a bad event make you sad or stop you. Friends say it to encourage you after a problem.
What does bring down the house mean?
It means a performer made the audience clap and cheer very loudly: Her last song brought the house down.
Is bring down the same as reduce?
For prices and numbers, yes, but bring down is more informal. Reduce sounds better in reports: We reduced costs by 10 percent.
Use bring down in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.