bring down
B1/B2 (Intermediate to Upper Intermediate)Predominantly informal to neutral. Common in spoken and written news, business, and everyday contexts. 'Topple' or 'overthrow' are more formal for political contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To cause something or someone to fall, be lowered, or be reduced in level, status, power, or amount.
Can also mean to cause emotional distress (e.g., 'bring down the mood'), to officially enact (e.g., 'bring down a verdict'), or to cause defeat or collapse.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily transitive, often followed by the object being reduced/defeated (e.g., bring down the government). Can imply agency and deliberate action. The object's position (before or after 'down') is fixed: 'bring it down' (correct), 'bring down it' (incorrect).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal core difference. Slight preference in UK English for 'bring down' in sporting contexts (e.g., 'bring down an opponent' in rugby/football). In US, 'take down' is a very close synonym in many contexts, potentially more common in informal speech.
Connotations
In both, 'bring down a government' has a political, weighty connotation. In business, 'bring down costs' is neutral. In personal contexts, 'don't bring me down' can sound slightly dated or colloquial.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both varieties. Corpus data shows it's a stable phrasal verb with no significant regional divergence in overall use.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SVOO: The scandal brought the minister down.SVO: The new software will bring down our operating costs.SVO+A: He brought the plane down safely in the field.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Bring down the house”
- “Bring down the curtain on something”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Focus on reducing figures: 'We need to bring down overheads to remain competitive.'
Academic
Used in history/political science: 'The protest movement ultimately brought down the regime.'
Everyday
Common for mood or minor reductions: 'His criticism really brought me down.' / 'This coupon brings the price down by 10%.'
Technical
In IT: 'A DDoS attack can bring down the entire network.' In aviation: 'Pilots trained to bring down a plane in an emergency.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The vote of no confidence is expected to bring down the chancellor.
- A last-minute goal brought down the champions.
- Try not to let one bad mark bring you down.
American English
- The special prosecutor could bring down the administration.
- This medication should bring your fever down quickly.
- His negative attitude brings the whole team down.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The shop is bringing down the price of milk.
- Be careful not to bring down that vase!
- The scandal brought down the famous CEO.
- Cold weather can bring down a lot of leaves from the trees.
- Economic sanctions were used in an attempt to bring down the regime.
- The comedian's final joke brought the house down.
- The insurgents aimed to bring down the democratically elected government by undermining public trust.
- Her groundbreaking research helped bring down long-held assumptions in the field.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a king on a high throne. You BRING him DOWN to ground level. The action moves something from high (in position, price, or mood) to low.
Conceptual Metaphor
STATUS IS HEIGHT / QUANTITY IS HEIGHT. Reducing status, quantity, or mood is conceptualized as physically lowering something.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'сбивать' for non-literal uses (e.g., for costs or governments). 'Снижать' (costs) or 'свергать' (government) are better conceptual matches. 'Приносить вниз' is a literal mistranslation.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'bring down' intransitively (e.g., 'The government brought down' - incorrect). Requires an object. Confusing 'bring down' with 'break down' (for machinery failure). Incorrect particle order: 'bring down it' instead of 'bring it down'.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'bring down' used CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is a separable phrasal verb. You can say 'bring down the cost' or 'bring the cost down'. However, when using a pronoun (it, them), it must separate: 'bring it down'.
They are often synonyms. 'Bring down' often emphasizes the cause or agent of the downfall ('The evidence brought him down'). 'Take down' can emphasize the physical or direct action of removal ('He took down the poster'). In US English, 'take down' is more common in informal speech for defeating someone.
Yes, but it's informal and slightly colloquial. 'The bad news really brought her down.' More formal alternatives are 'depress', 'dishearten', or 'sadden'.
It spans registers. It's neutral in contexts like 'bring down costs' or 'bring down a government'. It becomes informal when referring to emotions ('bring down the mood'). For very formal political writing, 'topple' or 'overthrow' might be preferred.