- 1[intransitive] to change to a lower gear in a vehicle
- 2[intransitive] to change to a job or style of life where you may earn less but which puts less pressure on you and involves less stress Topic CollocationsTown and Countrytown
- live in a city/a town/an urban environment/the suburbs/the (housing) projects/shanty towns/slums/ (informal) a concrete jungle/the ghetto
- live downtown/in the downtown area/uptown/in midtown (Manhattan)
- enjoy/like the hectic pace of life/the hustle and bustle of city life
- cope with the stress/pressures of urban life
- get caught up in the rat race
- prefer/seek the anonymity of life in a big city
- be drawn to/resist the lure of the big city
- head for the bright lights (of the big city/New York)
- enjoy/love the vibrant/lively nightlife
- have/be close to all the amenities
- be surrounded by towering skyscrapers/soulless suburban sprawl
- use/travel by/rely on public transportation
- put up with/get stuck in/sit in massive/huge/heavy/endless/constant traffic jams
- tackle/ease/reduce/relieve/alleviate the heavy/severe (traffic) congestion
- be affected by/choked with/damaged by pollution
- live in a village/the countryside/an isolated area/a rural backwater/ (informal) the sticks/the boondocks
- enjoy/like the relaxed/slower pace of life
- enjoy/love/explore the great outdoors
- look for/find/get/enjoy a little peace and quiet
- need/want to get back/closer to nature
- be surrounded by open/unspoiled/picturesque/peaceful countryside
- escape/quit/get out of/leave the rat race
- seek/achieve a better/healthy work-life balance
- downshift to a less stressful life
- build/seek/start a new life in the country
- pull up stakes and move to/head for…
- create/build/foster a strong sense of community
- depend on/be employed in/work in agriculture
- live off/farm/work the land
- tackle/address the problem of rural/small-town unemployment
downshift
verbNAmE//ˈdaʊnʃɪft//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they downshift he / she / it downshifts
past simple downshifted
-ing form downshifting
nounSee downshift in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: downshift