1 B1 neutral
To clean a garment or surface by brushing with a downward motion.
"He stood up and brushed down his jacket before entering the meeting."
separable
brush down
B1 neutral separable transitive
To clean or groom something by brushing it downward, typically clothing or an animal's coat.
In plain English
To use a brush to clean your clothes or an animal's fur from top to bottom.
What does "brush down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To groom an animal, especially a horse, by brushing its coat downward.
"The stable hand spent an hour brushing down the horses after the morning ride."
separable
Usage tip
Common in grooming contexts for both people (brushing down a jacket) and animals (brushing down a horse). Often used reflexively ('brushed himself down'). Common in British English.
Words that pair with "brush down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
jacket coat trousers horse suit uniform
How to conjugate "brush down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
brush down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
brushes down
he/she/it
Past simple
brushed down
yesterday
Past participle
brushed down
have + pp
-ing form
brushing down
continuous
Hear "brush down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "brush down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.