TURN DOWN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does turn down mean? 

• TURN DOWN (verb)
  The verb TURN DOWN has 5 senses:

1. refuse to accept

2. refuse entrance or membership

3. reject with contempt

4. take a downward direction

5. make lower or quieter

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

 Dictionary entry details 

• TURN DOWN (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Refuse to accept

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

decline; pass up; refuse; reject; turn down

Context example:

He refused my offer of hospitality

Verb group:

disdain; freeze off; pooh-pooh; reject; scorn; spurn; turn down (reject with contempt)

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

dishonor; dishonour (refuse to accept)

bounce (refuse to accept and send back)

Sentence frames:

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

Sentence example:

They turn down the money

Derivation:

turndown (the act of refusing an offer)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Refuse entrance or membership

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

refuse; reject; turn away; turn down

Context example:

Black people were often rejected by country clubs

Verb group:

disdain; freeze off; pooh-pooh; reject; scorn; spurn; turn down (reject with contempt)

Sentence frames:

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

Derivation:

turndown (the act of refusing an offer)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Reject with contempt

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

disdain; freeze off; pooh-pooh; reject; scorn; spurn; turn down

Context example:

She spurned his advances

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

decline; refuse (show unwillingness towards)

Verb group:

decline; pass up; refuse; reject; turn down (refuse to accept)

refuse; reject; turn away; turn down (refuse entrance or membership)

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

rebuff; repel; snub (reject outright and bluntly)

Sentence frames:

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

Derivation:

turndown (the act of refusing an offer)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Take a downward direction

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The economy finally turned down after a long boom

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

decline; worsen (grow worse)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make lower or quieter

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

lour; lower; turn down

Context example:

turn down the volume of a radio

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

decrease; lessen; minify (make smaller)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

“Suppose we turn down here for the present,” said Mrs. Rushworth, civilly taking the hint and following them.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

There is just a field between us, but to reach it you have to go along the road and then turn down a lane.

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

The job appears too special to turn down, but you will need help to manage things domestically, for your home atmosphere won’t likely calm down, but rather remain a high-level hub of activity most of 2020.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)