turn down — reject
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to refuse an offer, invitation, or request.
Say it like a native
Textbook I declined the offer of employment.
Native I turned the job down.
'Turn down' is the everyday verb for rejecting an offer; 'declined the offer of employment' is formal/written.
Pattern: turn down + noun/pronoun
In use
- He turned down the invitation to the party because he was too tired.work
- If I were offered a job abroad, I would probably turn it down because I want to stay close to my family.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ They turned down me for the role.
✓ They turned me down for the role.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'turn me down'.
Common collocations
turn down + offer— the offer, an invitation, a request, the job
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'turn off,' which means to stop something working.
Related
- turn down (reduce volume or heat) — Another meaning of 'turn down' is 'reduce volume or heat'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.