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Go down meaning

Go down means to become lower, like a price, a number or a temperature. It can also mean to move to a lower place, like downstairs.

Check yourself: 3 questionsAll 16 phrasal verbs with go

go down

go down · went · gone · going

B1No object+3 more meanings

The price of flights went down in March.

Go down meanings and examples

4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.

  1. 1become lower, like a price, a number or a temperature
  2. 2move to a lower place, like downstairs
  3. 3disappear below the horizon in the evening, for the sun
  4. 4get a good or bad reaction from people
  1. 1

    Become lower, like a price, a number or a temperature

    go down

    B1No object

    • The price of flights went down in March.
    • Has your temperature gone down?
    • Crime in the city is going down.
  2. 2

    Move to a lower place, like downstairs

    go down

    A2No object

    • Go down the stairs and turn left.
    • Can you go down and open the door?
    • We went down to the beach after lunch.
  3. 3

    Disappear below the horizon in the evening, for the sun

    go down

    B1No object

    • The sun goes down at about eight in summer.
    • Let’s sit here and watch the sun go down.
    • When the sun went down, it got cold.
  4. 4

    Get a good or bad reaction from people

    go down

    B2No object

    • His joke didn’t go down well.
    • How did the news go down at work?
    • The new menu went down really well with customers.
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Is go down separable?

Go down has no object, but it can take a place: go down the stairs. To say how much, use by: Prices went down by 5%.

Go down well means people liked it, and go down badly means they did not. Add with for the people: The idea went down well with the kids.

Verb tenses for go down

PresentI go down · she goes down
Pastwent down
Present perfecthave gone down
-ing formgoing down

Common mistakes with go down

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: Prices went down of 10%.

    Right: Prices went down by 10%.

    Use by for the amount.

  • Wrong: The sun went off at eight.

    Right: The sun went down at eight.

    The sun goes down. Lights go off.

  • Wrong: Please go down your voice.

    Right: Please keep your voice down.

    Go down has no object. Use lower or keep down.

Synonyms and opposites of go down

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

  • fallgo down, often quickly
  • dropgo down suddenly
  • setthe usual word for the sun going down

Opposite

Go down quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1Good news! The rent is ___ next year.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3Everyone laughed at the speech. It ___.

More phrasal verbs with go

All phrasal verbs with go, by level, with an exercise

16 phrasal verbs start with go. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.

Test yourself on goTake the full test

Go down FAQ

Questions people ask about go down.

What does the website went down mean?

If a website or computer system goes down, it stops working for a time: The bank’s app went down this morning.

What does go down in history mean?

It means be remembered for a long time: That match will go down in history.

What does what’s going down mean?

It is old US slang for what is happening. Today most people say what’s going on.

Use go down in real conversations

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