1 B2 idiomatic neutral
(Military/emergency) An alert that a person has been injured or is unable to continue.
"Man down! We need a medic over here immediately."
man down
B2 informal intransitive
An exclamation used to report that a person (originally a soldier) has been injured or is incapacitated; also used informally to mean a team is short of members.
In plain English
Someone on our team is hurt or can't work — we're one person short.
What does "man down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
(Informal) Used to describe a team or group that is short of members due to someone being absent or ill.
"We're man down today — Priya's home sick, so everyone will need to cover extra."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
A man (person) has fallen down, i.e., been incapacitated.
Actually means
Someone on our team is hurt or can't work — we're one person short.
Usage tip
Originally military. Now widely used in sports, workplaces, and casual speech to describe a team being short-handed due to illness, injury, or absence. Often used humorously.
Words that pair with "man down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
team squad soldier player sick injured
How to conjugate "man down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
man down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
mans down
he/she/it
Past simple
maned down
yesterday
Past participle
maned down
have + pp
-ing form
maning down
continuous
Hear "man down" in the wild
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Other ways to say "man down"
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a player down one down short-handed understaffed
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