1 C1 idiomatic formal
To pray for or invoke something, especially divine punishment or wrath, to fall upon someone.
"In his anger, the old priest called down the wrath of heaven upon his betrayers."
separable
call down
C1 formal separable transitive
To invoke or pray for something to descend upon someone, or to reprimand someone severely.
In plain English
Ask (often from God or fate) for something bad to happen to someone, or scold someone strongly.
What does "call down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic formal
To severely reprimand or scold someone.
"The sergeant called the recruit down in front of the entire platoon for disobeying orders."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To call something downward — as if beckoning a force from above.
Actually means
Ask (often from God or fate) for something bad to happen to someone, or scold someone strongly.
Usage tip
The 'invoke' sense is literary and somewhat archaic — found in religious, poetic, or dramatic contexts. The 'reprimand' sense is also somewhat formal and old-fashioned. Both senses are rare in everyday speech.
Words that pair with "call down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
wrath curse punishment blessing reprimand anger
How to conjugate "call down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
call down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
calls down
he/she/it
Past simple
called down
yesterday
Past participle
called down
have + pp
-ing form
calling down
continuous
Hear "call down" in the wild
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Other ways to say "call down"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
curse imprecate invoke rebuke reprimand upbraid
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