come down — move from a higher to a lower place
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To move from a higher position to a lower one, either physically or metaphorically.
Say it like a native
Textbook Please descend the stairs; your meal is ready.
Native Come down — dinner's ready!
'Come down' is the everyday verb; 'descend the stairs' is formal/literary.
Pattern: come down (from/to/off something)
In use
- Could you come down from your room? Dinner is ready.daily life
- In my hometown, the mountains are beautiful, and sometimes we come down from the hills to visit the city center.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Come down of the ladder, it's not safe.
✓ Come down from the ladder, it's not safe.
'Come down FROM' a high place, not 'of'.
Common collocations
come down (from)— from upstairs, the stairs, off the ladder, here
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'fall down', which often means to drop suddenly or by accident.
Related
- come down (decrease in price or level) — Another meaning of 'come down' is 'decrease in price or level'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.