Put down meaning
Put down means to place something you are holding on a table or the floor. It can also mean to write a name or detail on a list or a form.
put somebody or something down
put down · put · putting
She put down her bags and hugged me.
Put 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.
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1
Place something you are holding on a table or the floor
put somebody or something down
- She put down her bags and hugged me.
- Put that box down over there, please.
- It’s really hot! Put it down on the board.
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2
Write a name or detail on a list or a form
put somebody or something down
- Put my name down for the trip.
- What should I put down as my job?
- I’ve put you down for two tickets.
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3
Say unkind things to make someone feel stupid
put somebody down
- He always puts his sister down in front of friends.
- Stop putting yourself down. You did well!
- I hate the way she puts people down.
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4
Kill a sick or old animal kindly, so it does not suffer
put somebody or something down
- The vet said we had to put our old dog down.
- The horse broke its leg and was put down.
- They didn’t want to put him down, but he was in pain.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use put 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 put down separable?
Put down is separable: put down the box, put the box down. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: put it down.
Put the baby down means put a baby to bed to sleep: I’ll call you back after I put the baby down.
Verb tenses for put down
| Present | I put down · she puts down |
|---|---|
| Past | put down |
| Present perfect | have put down |
| -ing form | putting down |
Common mistakes with put down
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: That glass is full. Put down it carefully.
Right: That glass is full. Put it down carefully.
A pronoun goes between put and down.
Wrong: She put down her name in the list.
Right: She put her name down on the list.
Say on a list, not in a list.
Wrong: Don’t put down yourself like that.
Right: Don’t put yourself down like that.
Yourself goes in the middle, like other pronouns.
Synonyms and opposites of put down
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- set downput something down gently; a bit formal
- write downwrite something on paper so you remember it
- criticisesay what is wrong with someone; less personal than put down
Put down quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1My arms hurt. Can I ___ these bags for a minute?
Put down means place something on the floor or a table.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes between put and down.
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3“Put me down for Saturday,” says Tom. What does he want?
Put someone down for something means write their name on the list.
More phrasal verbs with put
All phrasal verbs with put, by level, with an exercise
11 phrasal verbs start with put. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- put onA2dress yourself in clothes, shoes or glasses
- put offB1decide to do something later than you planned
- put awayB1put something in the place where it is kept
- put outB1stop a fire, a cigarette or a light from burning or shining
- put upB1fix something to a wall, or raise something higher
- put backB1return something to the place where it was before
- put up withB2accept something or someone annoying without complaining
- put togetherB2make something by joining its parts
- put forwardC1suggest an idea or a plan so people can discuss it
- put inA2put something inside a container, a machine or a drink
Put down FAQ
Questions people ask about put down.
What is a put-down?
A put-down, with a hyphen, is an unkind remark that makes someone look stupid: That joke was a real put-down.
What does put down roots mean?
It means settle in a new place and start to feel at home: After years of moving, we finally put down roots in Porto.
What is the difference between put down and put away?
Put down means place something on a surface, often for a moment. Put away means put it where it is kept: Put the books down here and put them away later.
Use put 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.