1 C1 idiomatic formal
to cause something bad such as anger, punishment, or criticism to affect someone or something
"His careless joke brought down a wave of criticism on the company."
inseparable
bring down on
C1 formal inseparable transitive
to cause something unpleasant to fall upon someone or something
In plain English
to make trouble come to someone
What does "bring down on" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to cause something to come down onto someone
Actually means
to make trouble come to someone
Usage tip
Usually followed by negative nouns such as blame, punishment, anger, or criticism.
Words that pair with "bring down on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
anger criticism punishment wrath trouble sanctions
How to conjugate "bring down on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bring down on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
brings down on
he/she/it
Past simple
brought down on
yesterday
Past participle
brought down on
have + pp
-ing form
bringing down on
continuous
Hear "bring down on" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "bring down on" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "bring down on"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.