Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adv. In, to, or toward a lower place, level, or position: floating downward.
- adv. Toward a lower position in a hierarchy or on a socioeconomic scale: slid downward into poverty.
- adv. Toward the feet or lower parts: clothed from the waist downward.
- adv. Toward a lower amount, degree, or rank: stocks plummeted downward.
- adv. From a prior source or earlier time: passed downward through the ages.
- adj. Directed toward a lower place or position: downward movement.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- From a higher to a lower place, condition, or state.
- In a course or direction from a head, origin, source, or remoter point in space or in time: as, water flows downward toward the sea; to trace successive generations downward from the earliest records.
- In the lower parts; as regards the lower parts or extremities.
- Moving or tending from a higher to a lower place, condition, or state; taking a descending direction, literally or figuratively: as, the downward course of a mountain path, or of a drunkard.
- Descending from a head, origin, or source: as, the downward course of a river; a downward tracing of records.
Wiktionary
- adv. toward a lower level, either in space or in a hierarchy or an amount
- adj. moving or sloping down
GNU Webster's 1913
- adv. From a higher place to a lower; in a descending course.
- adv. From a higher to a lower condition; toward misery, humility, disgrace, or ruin.
- adv. From a remote time; from an ancestor or predecessor; from one to another in a descending line.
- adj. Moving or extending from a higher to a lower place; tending toward the earth or its center, or toward a lower level; declivous.
- adj. Descending from a head, origin, or source.
- adj. Tending to a lower condition or state; depressed; dejected.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. extending or moving from a higher to a lower place
- adj. on or toward a surface regarded as a base
- adv. spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower level or position
Etymologies
- down + -ward (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Inzko added these developments are the latest in what he called a downward trend in political stability in Bosnia for the past five years.”
Voice of America: Bosnia Said to Face Worst Crisis Since 1995
“In each case, he was seen to take them in what we call a downward direction.”
“And, Steenie, if you can hold your tongue about this matter, you shall sit, from this term downward, at an easier rent.”
“This decision is based on the events in Japan, which today has led to a drop in deliveries to Japanese power producers and short term downward pressure on prices in this market," Areva said.”
“And, Steenie, if you can hold your tongue about this matter, you shall sit, from this term downward, at an easier rent. ”
“That's what we call a downward trend 'round these parts.”
“The continuing rise in the September PMI indicates that the process of economic growth adjusting downward from a high level has already moderated," said CFLP analyst Zhang Liqun in a note.”
“The amount of money lost through card fraud and online banking fraud in the UK has fallen again as part of a longer-term downward trend, figures reveal, but at the same time cheque fraud and phone banking fraud losses have soared.”
The Guardian: Card fraud at 11-year low as criminals revert to cheque and phone scams
“I would like to see you try to hang out in downward dog when you feel more like a stuffed turkey than the one you just ate.”
“But, just as the "Obama surging" headline was overblown as Obama crested 50 percent twice in Gallup's weekly approval numbers in January, so too is the idea that these latest numbers are indicative of any long-term downward trend for the President.”
The Washington Post: The Fix: Gallup poll -- Obama's approval rating levels off
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘downward’.
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hard to sense
somewhat, somewhere, elsewhere, whereby, likewise, spite, ever, along, otherwise, whatever, whichever, hitherto and 116 more...
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The things they carried (List 2)
Listening to this as an audio book for the second time. Tim O'Brien uses simple words and phrases to great effect. Very few unfamilar and big words . The writing style reminds me of words from Joh...
The, Things, They, Carried, meant, fond, By necessity,, presented to him, far beyond, against the brick..., reaching, taut and 2940 more...
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