get down

verb

got down; got down or gotten down; getting down; gets down
Synonyms of get downnext

transitive verb

1
: to manage to swallow
2
: to cause to be physically, mentally, or emotionally exhausted : depress
the weather was getting her down
3
: to commit to writing : describe

intransitive verb

1
: to alight especially from a vehicle : descend
2
: to give one's attention or consideration
used with to
get down to business
3
a
: to perform music or dance effectively and infectiously
b
: to have a good time partying

Examples of get down in a Sentence

I was getting down from the seaplane when a gust of wind swept away my hat. it's really getting him down that there does not seem to be one woman who will date him
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Holden had arranged this ahead of time with the captain and got down on one knee on the boat. Shelby Wax, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026 The San Francisco 49ers got creative in managing some tough cuts Sunday afternoon to get down to a 53-man roster, letting go of their punter and long snapper. Matt Barrows, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Many of the decisions will be easy, but there will be some tough calls that general manager Ian Cunningham and coach Kevin Stefanski will have to make to get down to the max number. Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The gallery opened with a photo of the couple hugging on a hillside at sunset, followed by a selfie of the two sharing a sweet kiss and another showing Finneas getting down on one knee to propose. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for get down

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of get down was in 1647

Cite this Entry

“Get down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20down. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster