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Definition of downward adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

downward

adjective
 
/ˈdaʊnwəd/
 
/ˈdaʊnwərd/
 [usually before noun]
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  1. moving or pointing towards a lower level
    • the downward slope of a hill
    • the downward trend in inflation
    • She was trapped in a downward spiral (= continuous increase) of personal unhappiness.
    • The business was on a downward path, finally closing in 2019.
    • Subsidence is the downward movement of a site on which a building stands.
    opposite upwardTopics Change, cause and effectc1
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryDownward is used with these nouns:
    • curve
    • direction
    • mobility
    • …
    See full entry
    Word OriginMiddle English: shortening of Old English adūnweard.
See downward in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee downward in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: downward

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pepper
noun
 
 
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