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come down

A2 neutral intransitive intransitive
In simple words

to go lower or become less

Literal meaning: to move from a higher place to a lower one

Meanings

1 A2 neutral

to move from a higher place to a lower one

"She came down the stairs quietly."

"Come down, O maid, from yonder mountain height."

— Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Come Down, O Maid"
Grammar: inseparable
2 B1 idiomatic neutral

to decrease in level, amount, or intensity

"Gas prices have finally come down a little."

"What goes up must come down."

— Popular proverb; also title of songs and books
Grammar: inseparable
3 B1 neutral

to collapse or be destroyed

"The old shed came down in the storm."

Grammar: inseparable
4 C1 idiomatic informal

to return to normal after the effects of drugs or strong excitement

"He needed a quiet room to come down after the party."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

A very flexible phrasal verb. Common with prices, temperatures, buildings, and also with drug effects in informal English.

Commonly used with

stairs price temperature rain wall high

Forms

Base
come down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
comes down
he/she/it
Past simple
came down
yesterday
Past participle
come down
have + pp
-ing form
coming down
continuous

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Synonyms

descend go down decrease drop collapse wear off

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