down-

prefix

Decrease.

“Those bonds have been downrated.”

OriginMiddle English down- ← Old English dūne- →
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Meanings

prefix
  1. Decrease.

    Those bonds have been downrated.

  2. Lower position or direction, literally or figuratively.

    The end of the ride was a long coast downhill.

  3. De-emphasis.

    I tried to downplay the importance of the scandal.

Origin

  1. Old Englishdūne-“down-”
  2. Middle Englishdown-
  3. Englishdown-

From Middle English down-, doun-, dun-, from Old English dūne- (“down-”), from dūne (“down, downward”). More at down.

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

down-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/down-

MLA

“down-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/down-. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “down-,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/down-.

Source: down- on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.