1 B1 idiomatic informal
To become ill with a specific illness.
"Half the office went down with food poisoning after the work lunch."
inseparable
go down with
B1 informal inseparable transitive
To become ill with a particular illness.
In plain English
To get sick with something, like a cold or flu.
What does "go down with" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
(Historical/nautical) to sink along with a ship that is going down.
"The captain refused to abandon ship and went down with the vessel."
inseparable
Usage tip
Primarily British English. Commonly used with illnesses such as flu, a cold, food poisoning, or other common ailments. The American English equivalent is more commonly 'come down with'.
Words that pair with "go down with"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
flu cold food poisoning virus fever stomach bug
How to conjugate "go down with"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
go down with
I/you/we/they
3rd person
goes down with
he/she/it
Past simple
went down with
yesterday
Past participle
gone down with
have + pp
-ing form
going down with
continuous
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