Synonyms of downwardnext
1
a
: from a higher to a lower place
b
: toward a direction that is the opposite of up
2
: from a higher to a lower condition
3
a
: from an earlier time
b
: from an ancestor or predecessor

downward

2 of 2

adjective

1
: moving or extending downward
2
: descending from a head, origin, or source
downwardly adverb
downwardness noun

Synonyms of downward

Examples of downward in a Sentence

Adverb The mountain streams flow downward to the lake. Mud covered his pants from the knees downward. Adjective Sales continued their downward trend. the downward revision of an estimate
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
The July jobs number was negative, and June and May were revised downward by almost half. George Calhoun, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy is revising downward its GDP growth forecast in 2026 due to the impact of Russian attacks, which have restricted exports, especially grain through Black Sea ports. ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Trump’s efforts to strip public radio and television stations of federal funds and the steep downward profit-losing trend for commercial newsrooms has meant, Ward said, that newsrooms have severely scaled back operations. Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 Analysts point out that if tech companies fail to beat market expectations, their stock prices could face swift downward pressure. CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for downward

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of downward was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downward. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

downward

1 of 2 adverb
1
: from a higher place or condition to a lower one
2
: from an earlier time

downward

2 of 2 adjective
: moving or reaching down

Legal Definition

downward

1 of 2 adjective
down·​ward
: going from a higher to a lower level
a downward departure from the sentencing guidelines

downward

2 of 2 adverb
: from a higher to a lower level
instead of following the sentencing guidelines, the court departed downward
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