get down

verb

got down; got down or gotten down; getting down; gets down

transitive verb

1
: to manage to swallow
2
: to cause to be physically, mentally, or emotionally exhausted : depress
the weather was getting her down
3
: to commit to writing : describe

intransitive verb

1
: to alight especially from a vehicle : descend
2
: to give one's attention or consideration
used with to
get down to business
3
a
: to perform music or dance effectively and infectiously
b
: to have a good time partying

Examples of get down in a Sentence

I was getting down from the seaplane when a gust of wind swept away my hat. it's really getting him down that there does not seem to be one woman who will date him
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.
After the somewhat serendipitous moment with Lemieux, Crosby got down to business. Josh Yohe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 The workmen complied, and Faulí got down and scuttled through the opening. D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025 White got down on one knee with a 5-carat diamond ring under a display of white roses. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025 To remember how these three women—and other journalists like them—got down to the business of reporting on what was happening, disseminating information to the masses and becoming a part of history, though none of them knew it at the time. Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for get down

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of get down was in 1647

Cite this Entry

“Get down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20down. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on get down

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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