comedown

1 of 2

noun

come·​down ˈkəm-ˌdau̇n 

: a descent in rank or dignity

come down

2 of 2

verb

came down; come down; coming down; comes down

intransitive verb

1

: to lose or fall in estate or condition

has come down in the world

2

a

: to pass by tradition

a story that has come down from medieval times

b

: to pass from a usually high source

word came down that the strike was over

3

: to place oneself in opposition

came down hard on gambling

4

a

: to deal with a subject directly

when you come down to it, we all depend on others

b

: to reduce itself : amount

it comes down to this

5

: to become ill

came down with measles

6

: come out sense 2

7

: go on, happen

what's coming down

Synonyms

Noun

• decline
• dégringolade
• demise
• descent
• down
• downfall
• fall
• flameout
• Götterdämmerung

Verb

• be
• befall
• betide
• chance
• come
• come about
• come off
• cook
• do
• go down [slang]
• go on
• hap
• happen
• occur
• pass
• transpire

Examples of comedown in a Sentence

Noun

For a man who was once a very popular actor, working in a nightclub is quite a comedown.

after a rapid rise to stardom, the rock band's comedown was just as quick

Verb

let's wait and see what comes down at the meeting

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Jannik Sinner, have prevented any post-Big Three comedown. —Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 15 July 2024

The death of three civilians and the quick demise and arrest of the perpetrators is, for supporters, something of a comedown. —Shiraz Maher, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2013

Verb

For small and mid-sized businesses, the decision to use a bank or an alternative lender often comes down to timing. —Xan Myburgh, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025

Chloe explains the couple has lived on the hill above the luxury Thai resort for the past year and comes down for meals. —Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1840, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for comedown

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown

Kids Definition

comedown

1 of 2 noun

come·​down ˈkəm-ˌdau̇n 

: a falling in status, position, or reputation

come down

2 of 2 verb

(ˌ)kəm-ˈdau̇n

: to fall sick

came down with the flu

Legal Definition

come down

intransitive verb

came down; coming down

: to be announced

the decision came down from the Supreme Court