Up vs. Down

Away from the surface of the Earth or other planet; in opposite direction to the downward pull of gravity.

Example: ‘I looked up and saw the airplane overhead.’;

(intensifier) Used as an aspect marker to indicate a completed action or state Thoroughly, completely.

Example: ‘I will mix up the puzzle pieces.’; ‘Tear up the contract.’; ‘He really messed up.’; ‘Please type up our monthly report.’;

To or from one's possession or consideration.

Example: ‘I picked up some milk on the way home.’; ‘The committee will take up your request.’; ‘She had to give up her driver's license after the accident.’;

North.

Example: ‘I will go up to New York to visit my family this weekend.’;

To a higher level of some quantity or notional quantity, such as price, volume, pitch, happiness, etc.

Example: ‘Gold has gone up with the uncertainty in the world markets.’; ‘Turn it up, I can barely hear it.’; ‘Listen to your voice go up at the end of a question.’; ‘Cheer up, the weekend's almost here.’;

(rail transport) Traditional term for the direction leading to the principal terminus, towards milepost zero.

(sailing) Against the wind or current.

(Cartesian graph) In a positive vertical direction.

(cricket) Relatively close to the batsman.

Example: ‘The bowler pitched the ball up.’;

Without additional ice.

Example: ‘Would you like that drink up or on ice?’;

Towards Cambridge or Oxford.

Example: ‘She's going up to read Classics this September.’;

To or in a position of equal advance or equality; not short of, back of, less advanced than, away from, etc.; usually followed by to or with.

Example: ‘I was up to my chin in water.’; ‘A stranger came up and asked me for directions.’;

To or in a state of completion; completely; wholly; quite.

Example: ‘Drink up. The pub is closing.’; ‘Can you sum up your research?’; ‘The comet burned up in the atmosphere.’; ‘I need to sew up the hole in this shirt.’;

Aside, so as not to be in use.

Example: ‘to lay up riches; put up your weapons’;

Toward the top of.

Example: ‘The cat went up the tree.’; ‘They walk up the steps.’;

Toward the center, source, or main point of reference; toward the end at which something is attached.

Example: ‘The information made its way up the chain of command to the general.’; ‘I felt something crawling up my arm.’;

Further along (in any direction).

Example: ‘Go up the street until you see the sign.’;

From south to north of

From the mouth towards the source (of a river or waterway).

(vulgar slang) Of a man: having sex with.

Example: ‘Phwoar, look at that bird. I'd love to be up her.’;

(colloquial) At (a given place, especially one imagined to be higher or more remote from a central location).

Awake.

Example: ‘I can’t believe it’s 3 a.m. and you’re still up.’;

Finished, to an end

Example: ‘Time is up!’;

In a good mood.

Example: ‘I’m feeling up today.’;

Willing; ready.

Example: ‘If you are up for a trip, let’s go.’;

Next in a sequence.

Example: ‘Smith is up to bat.’;

Happening; new.

Example: ‘What is up with that project at headquarters?’;

Facing upwards; facing toward the top.

Example: ‘Put the notebook face up on the table.’; ‘Take a break and put your feet up.’;

Larger; greater in quantity.

Example: ‘Sales are up from last quarter.’;

Ahead; leading; winning.

Example: ‘The home team were up by two goals at half-time.’;

Standing.

Example: ‘Get up and give her your seat.’;

On a higher level.

Example: ‘The new ground is up.’;

Available; made public.

Example: ‘The new notices are up as of last Tuesday.’;

Said of the higher-ranking pair in a two pair.

Example: ‘AAKK = aces up’; ‘QQ33 = queens up’;

Well-informed; current.

Example: ‘I’m not up on the latest news. What’s going on?’;

(computing) Functional; working.

Example: ‘Is the server back up?’;

(of a railway line or train) Traveling towards a major terminus.

Example: ‘The London train is on the up line.’;

Headed, or designated to go, upward, as an escalator, stairway, elevator etc.

(bar tending) Chilled and strained into a stemmed glass.

Example: ‘A Cosmopolitan is typically served up.’;

(slang) Erect.

(of the Sun or Moon) Above the horizon, in the sky (i.e. during daytime or night-time)

well-known; renowned

(uncountable) The direction opposed to the pull of gravity.

Example: ‘Up is a good way to go.’;

(countable) A positive thing.

Example: ‘I hate almost everything about my job. The only up is that it's so close to home.’;

An upstairs room of a two story house.

Example: ‘She lives in a two-up two-down.’;

To increase or raise.

Example: ‘If we up the volume, we'll be able to make out the details.’; ‘We upped anchor and sailed away.’;

To promote.

Example: ‘It wasn’t long before they upped him to Vice President.’;

(intransitive) To act suddenly, usually with another verb.

Example: ‘He just upped and quit.’; ‘He upped and punched that guy.’;

(intransitive) To ascend; to climb up.

To upload.

Example: ‘100 new apps and games have just been upped.’;

Aloft; on high; in a direction contrary to that of gravity; toward or in a higher place or position; above; - the opposite of down.

Example: ‘But up or down,By center or eccentric, hard to tell.’;

From a lower to a higher position, literally or figuratively; as, from a recumbent or sitting position; from the mouth, toward the source, of a river; from a dependent or inferior condition; from concealment; from younger age; from a quiet state, or the like; - used with verbs of motion expressed or implied.

Example: ‘But they presumed to go up unto the hilltop.’; ‘I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up.’; ‘Up rose the sun, and up rose Emelye.’; ‘We have wrought ourselves up into this degree of Christian indifference.’;

In a higher place or position, literally or figuratively; in the state of having arisen; in an upright, or nearly upright, position; standing; mounted on a horse; in a condition of elevation, prominence, advance, proficiency, excitement, insurrection, or the like; - used with verbs of rest, situation, condition, and the like; as, to be up on a hill; the lid of the box was up; prices are up.

Example: ‘And when the sun was up, they were scorched.’; ‘Those that were up themselves kept others low.’; ‘Helen was up - was she?’; ‘Rebels there are up,And put the Englishmen unto the sword.’; ‘His name was up through all the adjoining provinces, even to Italy and Rome; many desiring to see who he was that could withstand so many years the Roman puissance.’; ‘Thou hast fired me; my soul's up in arms.’; ‘Grief and passion are like floods raised in little brooks by a sudden rain; they are quickly up.’; ‘A general whisper ran among the country people, that Sir Roger was up.’; ‘Let us, then, be up and doing,With a heart for any fate.’;

To or in a position of equal advance or equality; not short of, back of, less advanced than, away from, or the like; - usually followed by to or with; as, to be up to the chin in water; to come up with one's companions; to come up with the enemy; to live up to engagements.

Example: ‘As a boar was whetting his teeth, up comes a fox to him.’;

To or in a state of completion; completely; wholly; quite; as, in the phrases to eat up; to drink up; to burn up; to sum up; etc.; to shut up the eyes or the mouth; to sew up a rent.

Aside, so as not to be in use; as, to lay up riches; put up your weapons.

Example: ‘Up, up, my friend! and quit your books,Or surely you 'll grow double.’;

From a lower to a higher place on, upon, or along; at a higher situation upon; at the top of.

Example: ‘In going up a hill, the knees will be most weary; in going down, the thihgs.’;

From the coast towards the interior of, as a country; from the mouth towards the source of, as a stream; as, to journey up the country; to sail up the Hudson.

Upon.

The state of being up or above; a state of elevation, prosperity, or the like; - rarely occurring except in the phrase ups and downs.

Example: ‘They had their ups and downs of fortune.’;

Inclining up; tending or going up; upward; as, an up look; an up grade; the up train.

raise;

Example: ‘up the ante’;

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level;

Example: ‘the anchor is up’; ‘the sun is up’; ‘he lay face up’; ‘he is up by a pawn’; ‘the market is up’; ‘the corn is up’;

getting higher or more vigorous;

Example: ‘its an up market’; ‘an improving economy’;

extending or moving toward a higher place;

Example: ‘the up staircase’; ‘a general upward movement of fish’;

(usually followed by `on' or `for') in readiness;

Example: ‘he was up on his homework’; ‘had to be up for the game’;

open;

Example: ‘the windows are up’;

(used of computers) operating properly;

Example: ‘how soon will the computers be up?’;

used up;

Example: ‘time is up’;

out of bed;

Example: ‘are they astir yet?’; ‘up by seven each morning’;

spatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher position;

Example: ‘look up!’; ‘the music surged up’; ‘the fragments flew upwards’; ‘prices soared upwards’; ‘upwardly mobile’;

to a higher intensity;

Example: ‘he turned up the volume’;

nearer to the speaker;

Example: ‘he walked up and grabbed my lapels’;

to a more central or a more northerly place;

Example: ‘was transferred up to headquarters’; ‘up to Canada for a vacation’;

to a later time;

Example: ‘they moved the meeting date up’; ‘from childhood upward’;

(especially southern England) A hill, especially a chalk hill; rolling grassland

Example: ‘We went for a walk over the downs.’; ‘The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England.’;

(usually plural) A field, especially one used for horse racing.

A tract of poor, sandy, undulating or hilly land near the sea, covered with fine turf which serves chiefly for the grazing of sheep.

(American football) Any of the four chances for a team to successfully move the ball for the yards needed to keep possession of the ball.

Example: ‘first down, second down, etc.’;

A negative aspect; a downer.

Example: ‘I love almost everything about my job. The only down is that I can't take Saturdays off.’;

(dated) A grudge (on someone).

An act of swallowing an entire drink at once.

(American football) A single play, from the time the ball is snapped (the start) to the time the whistle is blown (the end) when the ball is down, or is downed.

Example: ‘I bet after the third down, the kicker will replace the quarterback on the field.’;

(crosswords) A clue whose solution runs vertically in the grid.

Example: ‘I haven't solved 12 or 13 across, but I've got most of the downs.’;

A downstairs room of a two-story house.

Example: ‘She lives in a two-up two-down.’;

Down payment.

Soft, fluffy immature feathers which grow on young birds. Used as insulating material in duvets, sleeping bags and jackets.

(botany) The pubescence of plants; the hairy crown or envelope of the seeds of certain plants, such as the thistle.

The soft hair of the face when beginning to appear.

That which is made of down, as a bed or pillow; that which affords ease and repose, like a bed of down.

(comparable) From a higher position to a lower one; downwards.

Example: ‘The cat jumped down from the table.’;

(comparable) At a lower and/or further along or away place or position along a set path.

Example: ‘His place is farther down the road.’; ‘The company was well down the path to bankruptcy.’;

South (as south is at the bottom of typical maps).

Example: ‘I went down to Miami for a conference.’;

(Ireland) Away from the city (even if the location is to the North).

Example: ‘He went down to Cavan.’; ‘down on the farm’; ‘down country’;

(sport) Towards the opponent's side (in ball-sports).

Into a state of non-operation.

Example: ‘The computer has been shut down.’; ‘They closed the shop down.’;

To a subordinate or less prestigious position or rank.

Example: ‘Smith was sent down to the minors to work on his batting.’; ‘After the incident, Kelly went down to Second Lieutenant.’;

(rail transport) In the direction leading away from the principal terminus, away from milepost zero.

Get down.

Example: ‘Down, boy!’;

Away from Oxford or Cambridge.

Example: ‘He's gone back down to Newcastle for Christmas.’;

From a remoter or higher antiquity.

From a greater to a less bulk, or from a thinner to a thicker consistence.

From less to greater detail.

(intensifier) Used with verbs to add emphasis to the action of the verb.

Example: ‘They tamped (down) the asphalt to get a better bond.’;

Used with verbs to indicate that the action of the verb was carried to some state of completion, rather than being of indefinite duration.

Example: ‘He boiled the mixture./He boiled down the mixture.’; ‘He sat waiting./He sat down and waited.’;

From the higher end to the lower of.

Example: ‘The ball rolled down the hill.’;

From one end to another of.

Example: ‘The bus went down the street.’; ‘They walked down the beach holding hands.’;

(informal) sad, unhappy, Depressed, feeling low.

Sick or ill.

Example: ‘He is down with the flu.’;

At a lower level than before.

Example: ‘The stock market is down.’; ‘Prices are down.’;

Having a lower score than an opponent.

Example: ‘They are down by 3-0 with just 5 minutes to play.’; ‘He was down by a bishop and a pawn after 15 moves.’; ‘At 5-1 down, she produced a great comeback to win the set on a tiebreak.’;

Out.

Example: ‘Two down and one to go in the bottom of the ninth.’;

(colloquial) With "on", negative about, hostile to

Example: ‘Ever since Nixon, I've been down on Republicans.’;

Comfortable with, accepting of.

Example: ‘He's chill enough; he'd probably be totally down with it.’; ‘Are you down to hang out at the mall, Jamal?’; ‘As long as you're down with helping me pick a phone, Tyrone.’;

(not comparable) Inoperable; out of order; out of service.

Example: ‘The system is down.’;

Finished (of a task); defeated or dealt with (of an opponent or obstacle); elapsed (of time). Often coupled with to go (remaining).

Example: ‘Two down and three to go. (Two tasks completed and three more still to be done.)’; ‘Ten minutes down and nothing's happened yet.’;

Wounded and unable to move normally; killed.

Example: ‘We have an officer down outside the suspect's house.’; ‘There are three soldiers down and one walking wounded.’;

Mechanically failed, collided, shot down, or otherwise suddenly unable to fly.

Example: ‘We have a chopper down near the river.’;

Thoroughly practiced, learned or memorised; mastered. Compare down pat.

Example: ‘It's two weeks until opening night and our lines are still not down yet.’;

(obsolete) Downright; absolute; positive.

(transitive) To drink or swallow, especially without stopping before the vessel containing the liquid is empty.

Example: ‘He downed an ale and ordered another.’;

(transitive) To cause to come down; to knock down or subdue.

Example: ‘The storm downed several old trees along the highway.’;

To put a ball in a pocket; to pot a ball.

Example: ‘He downed two balls on the break.’;

To bring a play to an end by touching the ball to the ground or while it is on the ground.

Example: ‘He downed it at the seven-yard line.’;

(transitive) To write off; to make fun of.

To go down; to descend.

(transitive) To cover, ornament, line, or stuff with down.

Fine, soft, hairy outgrowth from the skin or surface of animals or plants, not matted and fleecy like wool

Example: ‘And the first down begins to shade his face.’;

That which is made of down, as a bed or pillow; that which affords ease and repose, like a bed of down

Example: ‘When in the down I sink my head,Sleep, Death's twin brother, times my breath.’; ‘Thou bosom softness, down of all my cares!’;

A bank or rounded hillock of sand thrown up by the wind along or near the shore; a flattish-topped hill; - usually in the plural.

Example: ‘Hills afford prospects, as they must needs acknowledge who have been on the downs of Sussex.’; ‘She went by dale, and she went by down.’;

A tract of poor, sandy, undulating or hilly land near the sea, covered with fine turf which serves chiefly for the grazing of sheep; - usually in the plural.

Example: ‘Seven thousand broad-tailed sheep grazed on his downs.’;

A road for shipping in the English Channel or Straits of Dover, near Deal, employed as a naval rendezvous in time of war.

Example: ‘On the 11th [June, 1771] we run up the channel . . . at noon we were abreast of Dover, and about three came to an anchor in the Downs, and went ashore at Deal.’;

A state of depression; low state; abasement.

Example: ‘It the downs of life too much outnumber the ups.’;

To cover, ornament, line, or stuff with down.

To cause to go down; to make descend; to put down; to overthrow, as in wrestling; hence, to subdue; to bring down.

Example: ‘I remember how you downed Beauclerk and Hamilton, the wits, once at our house.’;

To go down; to descend.

In the direction of gravity or toward the center of the earth; toward or in a lower place or position; below; - the opposite of up.

From a higher to a lower position, literally or figuratively; in a descending direction; from the top of an ascent; from an upright position; to the ground or floor; to or into a lower or an inferior condition; as, into a state of humility, disgrace, misery, and the like; into a state of rest; - used with verbs indicating motion.

Example: ‘It will be rain to-night. Let it come down.’; ‘I sit me down beside the hazel grove.’; ‘And that drags down his life.’; ‘There is not a more melancholy object in the learned world than a man who has written himself down.’; ‘The French . . . shone down [i. e., outshone] the English.’;

In a low or the lowest position, literally or figuratively; at the bottom of a descent; below the horizon; on the ground; in a condition of humility, dejection, misery, and the like; in a state of quiet.

Example: ‘I was down and out of breath.’; ‘The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.’; ‘He that is down needs fear no fall.’;

From a remoter or higher antiquity.

Example: ‘Venerable men! you have come down to us from a former generation.’;

From a greater to a less bulk, or from a thinner to a thicker consistence; as, to boil down in cookery, or in making decoctions.

Example: ‘Come down upon us with a mighty power.’;

In a descending direction along; from a higher to a lower place upon or within; at a lower place in or on; as, down a hill; down a well.

Hence: Towards the mouth of a river; towards the sea; as, to sail or swim down a stream; to sail down the sound.

Downcast; as, a down look.

Downright; absolute; positive; as, a down denial.

Downward; going down; sloping; as, a down stroke; a down grade; a down train on a railway.

soft fine feathers

(American football) a complete play to advance the football;

Example: ‘you have 4 downs to gain 10 yards’;

English physician who first described Down's syndrome (1828-1896)

(usually plural) a rolling treeless highland with little soil

fine soft dense hair (as the fine short hair of cattle or deer or the wool of sheep or the undercoat of certain dogs)

drink down entirely;

Example: ‘He downed three martinis before dinner’; ‘She killed a bottle of brandy that night’; ‘They popped a few beer after work’;

eat immoderately;

Example: ‘Some people can down a pound of meat in the course of one meal’;

bring down or defeat (an opponent)

shoot at and force to come down;

Example: ‘the enemy landed several of our aircraft’;

cause to come or go down;

Example: ‘The policeman downed the heavily armed suspect’; ‘The mugger knocked down the old lady after she refused to hand over her wallet’;

improve or perfect by pruning or polishing;

Example: ‘refine one's style of writing’;

being or moving lower in position or less in some value;

Example: ‘lay face down’; ‘the moon is down’; ‘our team is down by a run’; ‘down by a pawn’; ‘the stock market is down today’;

becoming progressively lower;

Example: ‘the down trend in the real estate market’;

understood perfectly;

Example: ‘had his algebra problems down’;

extending or moving from a higher to a lower place;

Example: ‘the down staircase’; ‘the downward course of the stream’;

out;

Example: ‘two down in the last of the ninth’;

lower than previously;

Example: ‘the market is depressed’; ‘prices are down’;

shut;

Example: ‘the shades were down’;

cut down;

Example: ‘the tree is down’;

not functioning (temporarily or permanently);

Example: ‘we can't work because the computer is down’;

low in spirits;

Example: ‘lonely and blue in a strange city’; ‘depressed by the loss of his job’; ‘a dispirited and resigned expression on her face’; ‘downcast after his defeat’; ‘feeling discouraged and downhearted’;

the fractional price paid in cash at time of purchase;

Example: ‘the down payment’; ‘a payment of $200 down’;

spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower level or position;

Example: ‘don't fall down’; ‘rode the lift up and skied down’; ‘prices plunged downward’;

away from a more central or a more northerly place;

Example: ‘was sent down to work at the regional office’; ‘worked down on the farm’; ‘came down for the wedding’; ‘flew down to Florida’;

paid in cash at time of purchase;

Example: ‘put ten dollars down on the necklace’;

from an earlier time;

Example: ‘the story was passed down from father to son’;

to a lower intensity;

Example: ‘he slowly phased down the light until the stage was completely black’;

in an inactive or inoperative state;

Example: ‘the factory went down during the strike’; ‘the computer went down again’;