down|hearted /daʊ nhɑː r t I d/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are downhearted , you are feeling sad and discouraged. □ Max sighed, sounding even more downhearted.
down|hill /daʊ nh I l/
1 ADV [ADV after v, be ADV ] If something or someone is moving downhill or is downhill , they are moving down a slope or are located towards the bottom of a hill. □ He headed downhill towards the river. [Also + from ] ● ADJ [ADJ n] Downhill is also an adjective. □ …downhill ski runs.
2 ADV [ADV after v] If you say that something is going downhill , you mean that it is becoming worse or less successful. □ Since I started to work longer hours things have gone steadily downhill.
3 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that a task or situation is downhill after a particular stage or time, you mean that it is easy to deal with after that stage or time. □ Well, I guess it's all downhill from here.
Down|ing Street /daʊ n I ŋ striːt/ N‑PROPER Downing Street is the street in London in which the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer live. You can also use Downing Street to refer to the Prime Minister and his or her officials. □ The Prime Minister arrived back at Downing Street from Paris this morning. □ Downing Street is taking the French opinion polls very seriously indeed.
down|load /daʊ nloʊd/ (downloads , downloading , downloaded ) VERB To download data or software means to transfer it to your computer or phone from another device or from the internet. [COMPUTING ] □ [V n] Students and educators can download the software free of charge. ● N‑VAR Download is also a noun. □ Downloads of the album have raised over $3 million for charity.
down|load|able /daʊnloʊ dəb ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If a computer file or program is downloadable , it can be downloaded to another computer. [COMPUTING ] □ …downloadable games.
down|market /daʊ nmɑː r k I t/ also down-market ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a product or service as downmarket , you think that they are cheap and are not very good in quality. □ It is a downmarket eating house, seating about 60. ● ADV [ADV after v] Downmarket is also an adverb. □ Why is the company going downmarket and developing smaller machines?
do wn pay|ment (down payments ) also downpayment N‑COUNT If you make a down payment on something, you pay only a percentage of the total cost when you buy it. You then finish paying for it later, usually by paying a certain amount every month.
down|play /daʊ nple I / (downplays , downplaying , downplayed ) VERB If you downplay a fact or feature, you try to make people think that it is less important or serious than it really is. □ [V n] The government is trying to downplay the violence.
down|pour /daʊ npɔː r / (downpours ) N‑COUNT A downpour is a sudden and unexpected heavy fall of rain. □ …a sudden downpour of rain.
down|right /daʊ nra I t/ ADV [ADV adj] You use downright to emphasize unpleasant or bad qualities or behaviour. [EMPHASIS ] □ …ideas that would have been downright dangerous if put into practice. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Downright is also an adjective. □ …downright bad manners.
do wn-ri ver also downriver ADV [ADV after v, be ADV ] Something that is moving down-river is moving towards the mouth of a river, from a point further up the river. Something that is down-river is towards the mouth of a river. □ By 09.30 we had cast off and were heading down-river. □ …a big tourist hotel a few hundred yards down-river. □ [+ from ] Cologne is not so very far down-river from Mainz. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Down-river is also an adjective. □ …downriver factories dispensing billows of smoke.
downs /daʊ nz/ N‑PLURAL [oft in names] Downs are areas of gentle hills with few trees. [BRIT ] □ …walking across the downs. □ …the Wiltshire downs.
down|scale /daʊ nske I l/ (downscales , downscaling , downscaled ) VERB If you downscale or downscale an activity, you do or spend less in order to save money. □ …controversial plans to downscale the city's Victoria Infirmary and reduce the number of its accident and emergency departments from five to two. □ We want to downscale and buy a smaller house.
down|shift /daʊ nʃ I ft/ (downshifts , downshifting , downshifted )
1 VERB If someone downshifts , they leave a job that is well-paid but stressful for a less demanding job and a more enjoyable way of life. [BRIT ] □ [V ] Lynda now sees many of her clients downshifting in search of a new way of living. ● down|shift|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ The latest lifestyle trend is downshifting. ● down|shifter (downshifters ) N‑COUNT □ Downshifters are being tempted to leave the sophisticated city and go simple.
2 VERB If you downshift while driving, you change to a lower gear. [mainly AM ] □ [V ] He downshifted and turned the steering wheel. [Also V + to ] in BRIT, use change down
down|side /daʊ nsa I d/ N‑SING The downside of a situation is the aspect of it which is less positive, pleasant, or useful than its other aspects. □ The downside of this approach is a lack of clear leadership.
down|size /daʊ nsa I z/ (downsizes , downsizing , downsized ) VERB To downsize something such as a business or industry means to make it smaller. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] American manufacturing organizations have been downsizing their factories. □ [V -ed] …today's downsized economy. □ [V ] …a consultant who's helped dozens of companies downsize. ● down|siz|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ …a trend toward downsizing in the personal computer market.