1 A2 neutral
To leap from a higher place to a lower one.
"He jumped down from the wall and landed on the grass below."
jump down
A2 neutral intransitive
To leap downward from a height, or (idiomatically) to reprimand someone sharply.
In plain English
To jump from somewhere high to somewhere lower, or to suddenly shout at someone angrily.
What does "jump down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
(In the phrase 'jump down someone's throat') To respond to someone very angrily or to criticize them sharply and suddenly.
"I only asked a simple question — there was no need to jump down my throat like that."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To leap from a higher to a lower position — transparent.
Actually means
To jump from somewhere high to somewhere lower, or to suddenly shout at someone angrily.
Usage tip
The literal sense is A2-level and very common. The idiomatic phrase 'jump down someone's throat' means to criticize or respond very angrily and is at B2 level. Note that in this idiom, a preposition phrase is required.
Words that pair with "jump down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
cliff wall roof tree ledge throat
How to conjugate "jump down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
jump down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
jumps down
he/she/it
Past simple
jumped down
yesterday
Past participle
jumped down
have + pp
-ing form
jumping down
continuous
Hear "jump down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "jump down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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