downward
adverb
down·ward
| \ ˈdau̇n-wərd
\
\
variants:
or downwards \ ˈdau̇n-wərdz
\
\
Definition of downward
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: from a higher to a lower place
b
: toward a direction that is the opposite of up
2
: from a higher to a lower condition
3a
: from an earlier time
b
: from an ancestor or predecessor
downward
adjectiveDefinition of downward (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: moving or extending downward
2
: descending from a head, origin, or source
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Synonyms & Antonyms for downward
Synonyms: Adverb
Synonyms: Adjective
bowed, down, downcast, lowered
Antonyms: Adverb
up, upward (or upwards), upwardly
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Examples of downward in a Sentence
Adverb
The mountain streams flow downward to the lake. Mud covered his pants from the knees downward.Adjective
Sales continued their downward trend. the downward revision of an estimate
Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb
Short-term traders have likely latched on to bonds to take advantage of the trend downward in rates. — Ben Carlson, Fortune, "Making Sense of Bond Investing During a Deeply Unusual Year," 23 Aug. 2019 For the Democrats: the trend downward got started under the leadership of President Obama and Gov. Ted Strickland. — cleveland.com, "Sorting out Ohio hemp and marijuana laws: Capitol Letter," 19 Aug. 2019 Nationwide, nevertheless, support for the authorities has been trending downward. — Will Englund, Washington Post, "Seeking democracy on the streets of Russia," 17 Aug. 2019 The experts also said that the global average of shark attacks is trending downward. — Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, "Shark attacks aren't on the rise. But here's how to stay safe this Fourth of July.," 4 July 2019 The president of the United States does not have the authority to force American companies to do this, but the increasingly belligerent trade rhetoric sent the stock market sharply downward. — oregonlive.com, "Donald Trump could be trying to damage economy in short term to help re-election chances, says ‘King of Bonds’ investor," 26 Aug. 2019 The legs of the nylons stretch downward, ending in two dark braids that graze the rubble below. — Sharon Mizota, Los Angeles Times, "For these 20 women artists, ‘Rapunzel’ and ‘Dyketactics’ are just the beginning," 16 Aug. 2019 This constant downward force causes a person to accelerate downward. — Rhett Allain, WIRED, "The Twisty Physics of Simone Biles' Historic Triple-Double," 12 Aug. 2019 Houston-area vacancy, which had been inching downward, rose 60 basis points to 21.6 percent, according to Colliers, which tracked the downtown, Katy Freeway, West Loop (Galleria) and Westchase submarkets in the report. — Katherine Feser, Houston Chronicle, "Houston among cities with highest office vacancy," 8 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Drug and alcohol overdoses in Carroll County continued a year-over-year downward trend in August, with fewer overall overdoses than in August 2018 and fewer overdoses in the first eight months of 2019 compared with the same interval in 2018. — Jon Kelvey, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Drug, alcohol overdoses in Carroll County continue downward year-over-year trend, data show," 7 Sep. 2019 Traffic deaths in Minnesota increased 6 percent last year, but continue a downward trend over a five-year period, a state report said. — Forum News Service, Twin Cities, "Minnesota traffic deaths up 6% last year, even as they continue downward trend," 29 Aug. 2019 Dog bites have been on a downward trend in Detroit since a peak of 847 in 2014 to 391 last year, but more work needs to be done, Ingersoll said. — Kat Stafford, Detroit Free Press, "Chained and neglected: Detroit's dog problem persists despite child deaths," 28 Aug. 2019 Despite a downward trend in tobacco use among young people, vaping is on the rise and has become popular among teenagers in recent years. — Kate Thayer, chicagotribune.com, "An Illinois resident just died after a mysterious vaping-related illness. It could be the first death linked to vaping in the US," 23 Aug. 2019 Rudolph has been on a downward trend the past three years (2nd-7th-8th in fantasy finishes) and that appears likely to continue, as Minnesota wants to run the ball more and spent a second-round pick on a young TE, Irv Smith Jr., in April. — Des Bieler, The Denver Post, "The top fantasy football tight ends to draft in 2019," 15 Aug. 2019 The price dip comes after a weak run for most of July which resulted in a downward price trend and several days of consecutive losses. — Yomi Kazeem, Quartz Africa, "Jumia’s shares have dropped below its IPO price as speculators and shorts hover," 6 Aug. 2019 Monday Night Raw will remain on NBCUniversal’s USA Network; WWE managed to reach astonishingly lucrative deals with both partners despite a downward trend in people tuning in each week. — Chris Welch, The Verge, "WWE pulls a heel turn on Disney’s streaming tech," 30 July 2019 To combat this downward funding trend, United Way has started to solicit revenue in other ways. — Ginger Christ, cleveland.com, "United Way funding changes hitting area health care services," 28 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'downward.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for downward
downward
adverb
English Language Learners Definition of downward
(Entry 1 of 2)
: from a higher place or level to a lower place or level
: toward the ground, floor, etc. : not up
: toward people with less power, money, etc.
downward
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of downward (Entry 2 of 2)
: moving or going from a higher place or level to a lower place or level
: moving or going toward the ground, floor, etc.
: changing to a smaller amount or lower number
See the full definition for downward in the English Language Learners Dictionary
downward
adverb
down·ward
| \ ˈdau̇n-wərd
\
\
variants:
or downwards \