1 B1 neutral
To signal to a passing vehicle by waving, asking the driver to stop.
"She ran to the edge of the road and managed to wave down a passing taxi."
separable
wave down
B1 neutral separable transitive
To signal to a vehicle or person with a wave to make them stop.
In plain English
To wave your arms at a passing car or person so they stop for you.
What does "wave down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 informal
To signal to a person from a distance, waving to get their attention and bring them to stop.
"He waved down his colleague across the car park to ask for a quick word."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To wave downward at a passing vehicle — the gesture of waving with a downward motion to signal stopping.
Actually means
To wave your arms at a passing car or person so they stop for you.
Usage tip
Most commonly used in the context of stopping vehicles, especially taxis, buses, or cars in an emergency. Also used by police to stop vehicles. Common across all English-speaking regions.
Words that pair with "wave down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
taxi car bus driver truck ambulance police
How to conjugate "wave down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wave down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
waves down
he/she/it
Past simple
waved down
yesterday
Past participle
waved down
have + pp
-ing form
waving down
continuous
Hear "wave down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "wave down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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