1 A2 neutral
To hit someone or something so that it falls to the ground.
"The car ran a red light and knocked down a cyclist who had no time to react."
separable
knock down
A2 neutral separable transitive
To cause something or someone to fall to the ground, to demolish a building, or to reduce a price.
In plain English
To make something fall down, to destroy a building, or to lower a price.
What does "knock down" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To demolish or destroy a building, wall, or structure.
"They knocked down the old factory to build a shopping centre."
separable
3 B1 idiomatic informal
To reduce a price, especially in negotiation.
"After some negotiation, the seller knocked the price down by two hundred euros."
separable
4 B1 neutral
In boxing or fighting: to cause an opponent to fall to the floor with a blow.
"The champion knocked his opponent down in the third round but couldn't secure the knockout."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To knock something so that it falls down.
Actually means
To make something fall down, to destroy a building, or to lower a price.
Usage tip
Very common phrasal verb with multiple distinct senses. In commerce, 'knock down' a price means to reduce it, often in negotiation. In boxing, it means to cause an opponent to fall. At auctions, the auctioneer 'knocks down' an item to the winning bidder. Very versatile.
Words that pair with "knock down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
price building wall door opponent pedestrian barrier
How to conjugate "knock down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
knock down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
knocks down
he/she/it
Past simple
knocked down
yesterday
Past participle
knocked down
have + pp
-ing form
knocking down
continuous
Hear "knock down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "knock down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "knock down"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
demolish flatten hit down lower reduce topple
Keep exploring
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