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
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
Esat Dedezade, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Glide it gently but firmly along your legs, downward over your torso, upward on your arms, and down your neck—this pattern is thought to move fluid toward your lymph nodes to promote drainage.
—Allure, 14 Apr. 2025
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
The contraction resumes a more than two-year downward trend in the sector.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downward
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Adverb
Sony’s move could reflect a broader shift among major hardware makers — one where pricing no longer only trends downward as products age.
—Esat Dedezade, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Glide it gently but firmly along your legs, downward over your torso, upward on your arms, and down your neck—this pattern is thought to move fluid toward your lymph nodes to promote drainage.
—Allure, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
This downward trend could persist given the prevailing macroeconomic uncertainty.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
The contraction resumes a more than two-year downward trend in the sector.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downward
Cite this Entry
“Downward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downward. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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
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