1 B2 neutral
To chase and catch or trample someone while riding a horse or vehicle.
"The cavalry rode down the retreating soldiers before they could reach the forest."
separable
ride down
B2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To pursue and overtake or trample someone while on horseback or in a vehicle; also to travel downward on a ride.
In plain English
To chase after someone on a horse or vehicle and catch them, or to go down somewhere while riding.
What does "ride down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To travel downward on a vehicle, horse, or similar conveyance.
"We rode down the mountain on our bikes as the sun was setting."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To ride in a downward direction.
Actually means
To chase after someone on a horse or vehicle and catch them, or to go down somewhere while riding.
Usage tip
The sense of chasing/trampling is most common in historical or literary contexts involving cavalry. The literal sense of travelling downward while riding is straightforward.
Words that pair with "ride down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
horseback cavalry fugitive hill slope trail
How to conjugate "ride down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
ride down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rides down
he/she/it
Past simple
rode down
yesterday
Past participle
ridden down
have + pp
-ing form
riding down
continuous
Hear "ride down" in the wild
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Other ways to say "ride down"
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