1 A2 neutral
To press or stroke something flat and neat with a downward motion.
"He nervously smoothed down his hair before walking into the boardroom."
separable
smooth down
B1 neutral separable transitive
To stroke or press something downward to make it flat and neat.
In plain English
To press or rub something to make it lie flat and neat.
What does "smooth down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To calm or soothe someone who is agitated or ruffled.
"It took a lot of patience to smooth down the angry customer."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To smooth something by pressing it downward.
Actually means
To press or rub something to make it lie flat and neat.
Usage tip
Used literally for hair, fabric, and surfaces. Also used figuratively to mean making someone less upset or agitated. The literal sense is more frequent.
Words that pair with "smooth down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
hair skirt fabric feathers dress surface
How to conjugate "smooth down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
smooth down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
smooths down
he/she/it
Past simple
smoothed down
yesterday
Past participle
smoothed down
have + pp
-ing form
smoothing down
continuous
Hear "smooth down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "smooth down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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