come down with — become ill
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To start to feel sick with a particular illness, usually something not too serious like a cold or the flu.
Say it like a native
Textbook I appear to be contracting a viral infection.
Native I think I'm coming down with something.
'Coming down with something' is exactly how people describe getting ill; 'contracting a viral infection' is clinical.
Pattern: come down with + illness
In use
- I think I'm coming down with a cold because my throat feels sore.health
- Last week, I couldn't go to work because I came down with the flu and had to rest at home.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I came down a cold last week.
✓ I came down with a cold last week.
Always 'come down WITH' an illness.
Common collocations
come down with + illness— a cold, the flu, a bug, something
Don't confuse it
'Come down with' is not used for injuries or very serious diseases. For example, don't say 'come down with cancer.'