English

Verb

turn down ‎(third-person singular simple present turns down, present participle turning down, simple past and past participle turned down)

1. (idiomatic) To refuse, decline, or deny.

   He turned down all our offers of help.

2. (idiomatic) To reduce the amount of something by means of a control, such as the volume, heat, or light.

   Turn down the television so I can hear myself think.

   When it starts to boil, turn down the heat to a simmer.

3. (idiomatic) To reposition by turning, flipping, etc. in a downward direction.

   Turn down the blankets to let them air out.

Usage notes

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

Antonyms

• turn up (2)

Related terms

• turn over

Translations

Anagrams

• downturn