go down

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Word: Go Down

Part of Speech: Verb

Basic Meaning: "Go down" is a phrasal verb that has multiple meanings depending on the context. It can mean to stop operating, to move to a lower position, to be defeated, or to be ingested. Let's break it down into simpler parts.

Usage Instructions:

You can use "go down" in different situations. It's important to pay attention to the context to understand which meaning is being used.

Examples:

1. Stop Operating:

   • "My computer crashed last night; the system goes down at least once a week." (Here, it means the computer stops working.)

2. Move Downward:

   • "The temperature is going down as winter approaches." (This means the temperature is decreasing.)

3. Disappear:

   • "The sun goes down early these days." (This means the sun sets or disappears from view.)

4. Be Defeated:

   • "If America goes down, the free world will go down too." (This means if America is defeated or fails, others will too.)

5. Ingested:

   • "This wine sure goes down well." (This means the wine is easy to drink or enjoyable.)

6. Recorded or Remembered:

   • "She will go down as the first feminist." (This means she will be remembered for her role as a feminist.)

7. Grow Smaller:

   • "Interest in the project went down after the initial excitement." (This means people's interest decreased.)

Advanced Usage:

• Figurative Meaning: "Go down" can also be used in a more figurative sense. For example, "That incident will go down in history."
• Idiomatic Expressions: "Go down in flames" means to fail spectacularly.

Word Variants:

• Going Down: "I can feel the temperature going down."
• Went Down: "The ship went down during the storm."

Different Meanings:

1. Physical Movement: Moving to a lower position (e.g., "He went down the stairs.")
2. Technical Failure: A system or device stops functioning (e.g., "The server went down.")
3. Social or Historical Context: Being remembered for something significant (e.g., "She went down as a hero.")
4. Defeat: Losing a competition or battle (e.g., "The team went down in the finals.")

Synonyms:

• For "stop operating": crash, fail
• For "move downward": descend, drop
• For "be defeated": lose, fall
• For "ingest": drink, swallow

Related Phrasal Verbs:

• Go under: This means to sink or fail completely (e.g., "The company went under after the recession.")
• Go down with: To become ill (e.g., "He went down with a cold last week.")

Idioms:

• "Go down the rabbit hole": To get deeply involved in something, often with complex or confusing results.
• "Go down swinging": To fight or resist until the end, even if defeat is certain.

Academic

Verb

1. stop operating
   • My computer crashed last night
   • The system goes down at least once a week
2. disappear beyond the horizon
   • the sun sets early these days
3. be defeated
   • If America goes down, the free world will go down, too
4. be ingested
   • This wine sure goes down well
   • The food wouldn't go down
5. be recorded or remembered
   • She will go down as the first feminist
6. grow smaller
   • Interest in the project waned
7. go under, "The raft sank and its occupants drowned"
8. move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
   • The temperature is going down
   • The barometer is falling
   • The curtain fell on the diva
   • Her hand went up and then fell again

Synonyms

• crash
• set
• go under
• decline
• wane
• sink
• settle
• descend
• fall
• come down