1 C1 neutral
To set up and settle into a temporary camp, especially for military or outdoor purposes.
"The soldiers camped down in the valley to wait out the storm."
inseparable
camp down
C1 informal inseparable intransitive
To establish a temporary camp in a location, or to reduce excessive theatrical or flamboyant behavior.
In plain English
To set up camp somewhere and stay there, or to tone down overly dramatic behavior.
What does "camp down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
To tone down exaggerated or theatrically flamboyant behavior.
"The director asked the actor to camp it down for the more serious scenes."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To set up a camp and get settled.
Actually means
To set up camp somewhere and stay there, or to tone down overly dramatic behavior.
Usage tip
The literal camping sense is less common than 'camp out'. A secondary sense relates to theatrical or performative contexts, meaning to reduce 'camp' behavior (see 'camp it up'). Quite rare.
Words that pair with "camp down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
troops hikers valley night behavior performance
How to conjugate "camp down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
camp down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
camps down
he/she/it
Past simple
camped down
yesterday
Past participle
camped down
have + pp
-ing form
camping down
continuous
Hear "camp down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "camp down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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