wave down
B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To wave your arms at a passing car or person so they stop for you.
Literal meaning: To wave downward at a passing vehicle — the gesture of waving with a downward motion to signal stopping.
Meanings
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."
Grammar: separable
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."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
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.
Commonly used with
taxi car bus driver truck ambulance police
Forms
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
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