get down

verb

got down; got down or gotten down; getting down; gets down

transitive verb

1
: to manage to swallow
2
: to cause to be physically, mentally, or emotionally exhausted : depress
the weather was getting her down
3
: to commit to writing : describe

intransitive verb

1
: to alight especially from a vehicle : descend
2
: to give one's attention or consideration
used with to
get down to business
3
a
: to perform music or dance effectively and infectiously
b
: to have a good time partying

Examples of get down in a Sentence

I was getting down from the seaplane when a gust of wind swept away my hat. it's really getting him down that there does not seem to be one woman who will date him
Recent Examples on the Web When the Clippers got down by four points, James entered with 7:06 remaining. Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024 The actor got down on one knee while the pair were taking a walk on the beach. Ariana Quihuiz, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024 Right before the doors are locked and these red-robed servants of the Lord are about to get down to the nasty business of stabbing each other in the back — metaphorically speaking, although maybe not — two surprises are dropped into Lawrence’s lap. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024 And the average wait time in 2022 was actually three minutes and sometimes got down to two minutes. CBS News, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for get down 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'get down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of get down was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near get down

Cite this Entry

“Get down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20down. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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