1 B1 idiomatic neutral
to begin to suffer from an illness
"I think I'm coming down with a cold."
inseparable
come down with
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
to start to become ill with a disease or minor sickness
In plain English
to get sick with something
What does "come down with" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to move downward carrying something
Actually means
to get sick with something
Usage tip
Very common with common illnesses such as a cold, flu, or food poisoning. Usually not used for very long-term diseases.
Words that pair with "come down with"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
a cold flu fever bug food poisoning something
How to conjugate "come down with"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
come down with
I/you/we/they
3rd person
comes down with
he/she/it
Past simple
came down with
yesterday
Past participle
come down with
have + pp
-ing form
coming down with
continuous
Hear "come down with" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "come down with" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "come down with"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
become sick with catch develop fall ill with get
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