dial down
B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words
To make something less loud, less strong, or less extreme — like turning down the volume on a radio.
Literal meaning: To turn a dial downward, reducing output or intensity.
Meanings
1 B1 informal
To reduce the volume, temperature, or power of a device.
"Could you dial down the music a little? I'm trying to concentrate."
Grammar: separable
2 B2
idiomatic
informal
To reduce the intensity of a feeling, behaviour, or situation.
"Both sides need to dial down the hostility if they want a peaceful resolution."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Common in American English. Used both literally (reduce volume/output of a device) and figuratively (reduce emotional intensity or aggressive behaviour). Increasingly used in media and political commentary.
Commonly used with
tension aggression noise rhetoric heat emotions
Forms
Base
dial down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dials down
he/she/it
Past simple
dialed down
yesterday
Past participle
dialed down
have + pp
-ing form
dialing down
continuous
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Synonyms
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