put down

See also: putdown and put-down

English

Pronunciation

Audio (General Australian): (file)

Verb

put down (third-person singular simple present puts down, present participle putting down, simple past and past participle put down)

(idiomatic, transitive) To insult, belittle, or demean.
Antonyms: compliment, talk up

They frequently put down their little sister for walking slowly.
- 1965, The Who, My Generation:
  People try to put us down / Just because we get around.
(banking, commerce, transitive) Of money as deposit, to pay.
We put down a $1,000 deposit.
To halt, eliminate, stop, or squelch, often by force.
Synonyms: end, stop, eliminate, extinguish

The government quickly put down the insurrection.
- 22 March 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Hunger Games[1]
  For the 75 years since a district rebellion was put down, The Games have existed as an assertion of the Capital’s power, a winner-take-all contest that touts heroism and sacrifice—participants are called “tributes”— while pitting the districts against each other.
- 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Nexus: William Spender Codex entry:
  When the Nexus first arrived in Andromeda and an uprising arose among the desperate crew, it was William Spender who convinced clan leader Nakmor Morda to put down the mutineers. By all accounts, it did not go well.
(euphemistic) To euthanize (an animal).
Synonyms: put to sleep, euthanize

Rex was in so much pain, they had to put him down.
- 2016, Dog found buried alive in Redcar with nail in head‎^[2], BBC:
  A couple walking in Kirkleatham Woods, Redcar, heard whimpering and found the terrier-type animal in a mound of earth at about midday. It was rushed to a vet but its injuries were so serious it had to be put down.
(euphemistic) To execute (a person), especially extrajudicially.
Synonyms: execute, down, eliminate
- 2023 October 12, HarryBlank, “Fire in the Hole”, in SCP Foundation‎^[3], archived from the original on 22 May 2024:
  The only thing left to do before putting the plan into action was checking the barracks for stragglers, and putting them down. She placed the first three bombs, then crept to the final door and opened it.
To write (something).
Put down the first thing you think of on this piece of paper.
- 1970, Elton John, Bernie Taupin, “Your Song”, in Elton John, performed by Elton John:
  I hope you don't mind
  That I put down in words
  How wonderful life is while you're in the world
To terminate a call on (a telephone); to hang up.
- 1992 June 24, Edwina Currie, Diary:
  Ray eventually called at 7pm and took the school’s side. He sounded imperious and distant and made me even angrier.
  
  I told him he sounded just like my father, and put the phone down on him.
Antonym: pick up

Synonym: hang up

Don't put the phone down. I want a quick word with him, too.
To add a name to a list.
I've put myself down for the new Spanish conversation course.
(UK, Ireland) To make prices, or taxes, lower.
BP are putting petrol and diesel down in what could be the start of a price war.
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