putting down

Verb

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

1. (idiomatic, transitive) To insult, belittle, or demean.
   • They frequently put down their little sister for walking slowly.

   Antonyms:

   compliment, talk up

2. (transitive) Of money as deposit, to pay.
   • We put down a $1,000 deposit.
3. To halt, eliminate, stop, or squelch, often by force.
   • The government quickly put down the insurrection.

   Synonyms:

   end, stop, eliminate, extinguish

4. (euphemistic) To euthanize (an animal).
   • Rex was in so much pain, they had to put him down.

   Synonyms:

   put to sleep, euthanize

5. (euphemistic) To execute (a person), especially extrajudicially.
   • 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.2023 October 12, HarryBlank, “Fire in the Hole”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 22 May 2024

   Synonyms:

   execute, down, eliminate

6. To write (something).
   • Put down the first thing you think of on this piece of paper.

See all 17 meanings of put down