down·ward
ˈdau̇n-wərd 
variants
or downwards
1
a
: 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
3
a
: from an earlier time
b
: from an ancestor or predecessor
1
: moving or extending downward
2
: descending from a head, origin, or source
downwardly
adverb
downwardness
noun
Synonyms
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
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2024
During Trump's first term, freedom of the press in the United States lurched downward, as did trust in media.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Ge Bai, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Laid out, the mat is big enough for a downward dog.
—Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for downward 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adverb
Since Harris hit a post-debate peak, her margin’s been drifting downward again.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2024
During Trump's first term, freedom of the press in the United States lurched downward, as did trust in media.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Codifying price transparency into law, enforcing compliance, and implementing other reforms that allow patients to directly benefit from lower prices would impose further downward pressure on pricing and reduce medical debt risks for patients.
—Ge Bai, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Laid out, the mat is big enough for a downward dog.
—Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for downward
Dictionary Entries Near downward
Cite this Entry
“Downward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downward. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
downward
1 of 2 adverb
down·ward
ˈdau̇n-wərd
variants
or downwards
1
: from a higher place or condition to a lower one
2
: from an earlier time
downward
2 of 2 adjective
: moving or reaching down
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share