BRING DOWN

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bring down mean? 

• BRING DOWN (verb)
  The verb BRING DOWN has 6 senses:

1. move something or somebody to a lower position

2. cause the downfall of; of rulers

3. impose something unpleasant

4. cause to come to the ground

5. cause to be enthusiastic

6. cut down on; make a reduction in

  Familiarity information: BRING DOWN used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BRING DOWN (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move something or somebody to a lower position

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

bring down; get down; let down; lower; take down

Context example:

take down the vase from the shelf

Hypernyms (to "bring down" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Cause:

come down; descend; fall; go down (move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bring down"):

reef (lower and bring partially inboard)

depress (lower (prices or markets))

dip (lower briefly)

incline (lower or bend (the head or upper body), as in a nod or bow)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause the downfall of; of rulers

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

bring down; overthrow; overturn; subvert

Context example:

subvert the ruling class

Hypernyms (to "bring down" is one way to...):

depose; force out (force to leave (an office))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bring down"):

revolutionize (overthrow by a revolution, of governments)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Impose something unpleasant

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bring down; impose; inflict; visit

Context example:

The principal visited his rage on the students

Hypernyms (to "bring down" is one way to...):

communicate; intercommunicate (transmit thoughts or feelings)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bring down"):

dictate; order; prescribe (issue commands or orders for)

intrude; obtrude (thrust oneself in as if by force)

clamp (impose or inflict forcefully)

give (inflict as a punishment)

foist (to force onto another)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something on somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cause to come to the ground

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

bring down; land; put down

Context example:

the pilot managed to land the airplane safely

Hypernyms (to "bring down" is one way to...):

arrive; come; get (reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress)

Cause:

land; set down (reach or come to rest)

Domain category:

air; air travel; aviation (travel via aircraft)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause to be enthusiastic

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

Her playing brought down the house

Hypernyms (to "bring down" is one way to...):

enthuse (cause to feel enthusiasm)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Cut down on; make a reduction in

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

bring down; cut; cut back; cut down; reduce; trim; trim back; trim down

Context example:

The employer wants to cut back health benefits

Hypernyms (to "bring down" is one way to...):

decrease; lessen; minify (make smaller)

Verb group:

cut (have a reducing effect)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bring down"):

spill (reduce the pressure of wind on (a sail))

knock off; shave (cut the price of)

subtract (take off or away)

downsize ((of a company) reduce in size or number of employees)

inflate (increase the amount or availability of, creating a rise in value)

deflate (reduce or cut back the amount or availability of, creating a decline in value or prices)

detract; take away (take away a part from; diminish)

thin (make thin or thinner)

thin out (make sparse)

slash (cut drastically)

retrench (make a reduction, as in one's workforce)

quench (reduce the degree of (luminescence or phosphorescence) in (excited molecules or a material) by adding a suitable substance)

shorten (make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

You two bring down the man with the head-piece, and I will hold myself ready if you miss.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I was not the man to touch the Commons, and bring down the country.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

His aunt worried him by her cares, and Sir Thomas knew not how to bring down his conversation or his voice to the level of irritation and feebleness.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

That settled it, and telling him of Meg's mishap, Jo gratefully accepted and rushed up to bring down the rest of the party.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Magnetic eruptions on the sun can impact air travel, disrupt satellite communications and bring down power grids, causing long-lasting blackouts and disabling technologies such as GPS.

(Newest solar telescope produces first images, National Science Foundation)

Let one of their frigates get to sea and have a couple of years’ free run in which the crew might learn their duties, and then it would be a feather in the cap of a British officer if with a ship of equal force he could bring down her colours.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then the countryman rejoiced at his good luck, and said, I like many things better than money: first, I will have a bow that will bring down everything I shoot at; secondly, a fiddle that will set everyone dancing that hears me play upon it; and thirdly, I should like that everyone should grant what I ask.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Jacobs, bring down my despatch-box.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Bring down the maximum limits.

(Health threats caused by mobile phone radiation, EUROPARL TV)

When they can bend my war-bow, and bring down a squirrel at a hundred paces, I send them to take service under Johnny Copeland, the Lord of the Marches and Governor of Carlisle.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)