AAAmerican Accent US

go down

No object

This verb takes no object at all.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: go DOWN. Saying “GO down” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

No pause between the words. /oʊ/ runs straight into /d/ — “go down” is one rhythmic unit with a single stressed beat on the particle.

3 meanings

1
To decrease.
- “Prices have gone down since the spring.”
Similar: fall, drop
2
To happen.
informal
- “Something went down at the office and nobody will say what.”
Similar: happen
3
(Of a system) to stop working.
- “The server went down for two hours.”
Similar: crash

The particle logic

Something decreases, collapses, settles, or gets recorded.

Listen + practice

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More GO phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

go ahead

To proceed, or to give permission to proceed.

go on

To continue.

go out

To leave home for a social activity.

go off

(Of an alarm) to start sounding.

go over

To review or examine something carefully.

go through

To experience something difficult.

go back

To return to a place or a previous state.

go along with

To agree to a plan or accept an opinion.

go up

To increase.

go for

To choose or decide on something.

go after

To pursue something or someone you want.

go by

(Of time) to pass.

go down — meaning, examples & how to say it