downstairs

1 of 3

adverb

down·​stairs ˈdau̇n-ˈsterz How to pronounce downstairs (audio)
: down the stairs : on or to a lower floor

downstairs

2 of 3

adjective

down·​stairs ˈdau̇n-ˌsterz How to pronounce downstairs (audio)
: situated on the main, lower, or ground floor of a building

downstairs

3 of 3

noun

down·​stairs ˈdau̇n-ˈsterz How to pronounce downstairs (audio)
ˈdau̇n-ˌsterz
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: the lower floor of a building

Examples of downstairs in a Sentence

Adverb He ran downstairs to answer the door. He lives downstairs from us. “Where are the kids?” “They're downstairs.” Adjective There are five downstairs rooms.
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.
Adverb
As Mary’s family attempts to rally around the Downton heiress, Robert (Hugh Bonneville) and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) are navigating their way through more financial strife, with those downstairs also left to ponder what the future holds for aristocratic homes like theirs. Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025 Find Haberdasher’s simple derby-and-tie logo hanging on San Salvador Street, then the low-key front door leading downstairs to cocktail nirvana. John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Celebratory bottles of wine can be arranged by the hotel's downstairs sister bar, Bar Covell, and bespoke bouquets are requestable via Gilly Flowers, Silver Lake’s chicest florist. Emily Wilson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 The performance of jazz standards and original tunes by his quartet on the first night of the festival, in a cosy downstairs bar at the Archer Street club, was a real treat. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
Via archival footage curated by director Simon Curtis, viewers were invited to the ultimate upstairs-downstairs soiree, with younger versions of fan favorite characters (circa Season 1) mixing, mingling and celebrating life. Andy Swift, TVLine, 13 Sep. 2025 The Emmy Award-winning show quickly became a global phenomenon, chronicling the upstairs-downstairs lives of the Crawley family and their staff in the early 20th century, through World War I and into the roaring ’20s. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for downstairs

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1598, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1702, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of downstairs was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downstairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downstairs. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

downstairs

1 of 3 adverb
down·​stairs ˈdau̇n-ˈsta(ə)rz How to pronounce downstairs (audio)
-ˈste(ə)rz
: down the stairs : on or to a lower floor

downstairs

2 of 3 adjective
down·​stairs -ˌsta(ə)rz How to pronounce downstairs (audio)
-ˌste(ə)rz
: situated on a lower level or on the main or first floor

downstairs

3 of 3 singular or plural noun
down·​stairs ˈdau̇n-ˈsta(ə)rz How to pronounce downstairs (audio)
-ˈste(ə)rz,
-ˌsta(ə)rz,
-ˌste(ə)rz
: the lower floor of a building

More from Merriam-Webster on downstairs

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