English

Verb

bring down ‎(third-person singular simple present brings down, present participle bringing down, simple past and past participle brought down)

1. (transitive) To make a legitimate rulership lose their position of power.

   The rebel forces are trying to bring down the president and his government.

2. (transitive) To reduce.

   The latest budget reforms are intended to bring down the level of inflation.

   • 2012 October 23, David Leonhardt, "," New York Times (retrieved 24 October 2012):

     The causes of income stagnation are varied and lack the political simplicity of calls to bring down the deficit or avert another Wall Street meltdown.

3. (transitive) To make something, especially something flying, fall to the ground. Usually by firing a weapon of some kind.

   He brought down a pheasant with his first shot of the day.

4. (sports) To cause an opponent to fall after a tackle.
   • 2010 December 28, Kevin Darlin, “West Brom 1 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC:

     Kalinic later saw red for a rash tackle on Paul Scharner before Gabriel Tamas was dismissed for bringing down Diouf.

5. (transitive) To make someone feel bad emotionally.

   The news of his death brought her down.

   • 1994, Green Day, Basket Case

     I went to a shrink, to analyze my dreams. He said it's lack of sex that's bringing me down.

Synonyms

• (to make something fall to the ground): shoot down
• (in sports: to cause an opponent to fall after a tackle): harsh one's mellow

See also

• bring down the house

Usage notes

The object may appear before or after the particle. If the object is a pronoun, then it must be before the particle.