1 B2 informal
To defeat someone in a debate or argument by presenting stronger or more persuasive points.
"She argued down every objection he raised until he finally agreed with her."
separable
argue down
B2 informal separable transitive
To defeat someone in an argument or to convince someone to accept a lower price through negotiation.
In plain English
Win an argument against someone, or get someone to lower their price by arguing with them.
What does "argue down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To persuade someone to reduce a price or demand through negotiation.
"He managed to argue the seller down from £5,000 to £3,800 for the car."
separable
Usage tip
Two main uses: (1) to defeat someone intellectually in a debate, and (2) to negotiate a price downward. Both senses are common in everyday British and American English. The price-negotiation sense is especially common in market or business contexts.
Words that pair with "argue down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
opponent price proposal claim critic amount
How to conjugate "argue down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
argue down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
argues down
he/she/it
Past simple
argued down
yesterday
Past participle
argued down
have + pp
-ing form
arguing down
continuous
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