bring down

Verb

bring down (third-person singular simple present brings down, present participle bringing down, simple past and past participle brought down)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bring, down.
   • Dad has brought down a stack of old vinyl records from the attic.
2. (transitive) To make (a ruler or government) lose their position of power.
   • The rebel forces are trying to bring down the president and his government.

   Synonyms:

   depose, dethrone

3. (transitive) To reduce.
   • The latest budget reforms are intended to bring down the level of inflation.
   • The causes of income stagnation are varied and lack the political simplicity of calls to bring down the deficit or avert another Wall Street meltdown.2012 October 23, David Leonhardt, New York Times, retrieved 24 Oct 2012

   Synonyms:

   lessen, abase, abate, belittle, besmall, embase, cut, decrease, decrement, diminish

4. (transitive) To humble.

   Synonyms:

   cut down to size, depress, put someone in their place

5. (transitive) To make (something, especially something flying) fall to the ground, usually by firing a weapon of some kind.
   • He brought down a pheasant with his first shot of the day.
   • For survival off-the-grid, one should have a gun that can bring down most animals without damaging their meat.

   Synonyms:

   shoot down

6. (transitive) To cause (an opponent) to fall after a tackle.
   • Kalinic later saw red for a rash tackle on Paul Scharner before Gabriel Tamas was dismissed for bringing down Diouf.2010 December 28, Kevin Darlin, “West Brom 1 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC

   Synonyms:

   harsh one's mellow

7. (transitive) To make (someone) feel bad emotionally.
   • The news of his death brought her down.
   • I went to a shrink, to analyze my dreams / He said it's lack of sex that's bringing me down1994, Green Day, “Basket Case”

   Synonyms:

   get down, put out, aggrieve, attrist, begloom, begrieve, besorrow, grieve, pain, come down on

8. To cause to fall down, e.g. in an accident.
   • From the evidence of witnesses and of the recorded passing times, including the time at which the circuit breakers were tripped when the wires were brought down, the train was travelling at a speed of not less than 70 m.p.h.1961 November, “Talking of Trains: Derailment near Holmes Chapel”, in Trains Illustrated, page 652
9. (transitive) To take (someone) to prison.

   Synonyms:

   lag off

10. (slang, African-American Vernacular) To receive a prison sentence.
    • She brought down a five-year bid.
11. (slang, transitive, African-American Vernacular) To incite excitement in (a place or crowd).
    • He brought down the club.

    Synonyms:

    animate, awaken, electrify, enflame, enkindle, enthrill, exagitate, excite, exhilarate, exsuscitate

12. (transitive) To calm down (someone).

    Synonyms:

    cool down, hose down, allay, ameliorate, appease, assuage, becalm, gentle, bestill, calm

13. (transitive) To stop the effects of intoxication in (someone).