Spell Bee Word: down

Basic Details

Word: Down

Part of Speech: Preposition, adverb, adjective, noun

Meaning: To a lower position or place; towards the ground.

Synonyms: Below, beneath, under

Antonyms: Up, above, over

Idioms and Phrases

1. Down in the dumps: Feeling sad or depressed. Example: "She has been down in the dumps since she lost her favourite toy."
2. Down to earth: Practical and realistic. Example: "His ideas are always down to earth, making them easy to understand."

Usage Examples

Example 1: She fell down the stairs and landed softly on the carpet.

Example 2: The cat jumped down from the window ledge and started chasing a butterfly.

Example 3: Once the meeting was over, everyone felt down and ready to go home.

Fun Fact

The word "down" has Old English origins, coming from the word "dne" which means a hill or mound. This reflects how the word refers to lower positions.

Famous Quote

"It's not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts." - Zig Ziglar

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. What does "down" mean?

a) To a higher place
b) To a lower place
c) Somewhere in the sky
d) To the left

Answer: b) To a lower place

2. Which of these is a synonym of "down"?

a) Above
b) Beneath
c) Around
d) Near

Answer: b) Beneath

3. Which sentence uses "down" correctly?

a) The balloon floated down in the sky.
b) The dog ran down the hill happily.
c) He looked down at the clouds from space.
d) They flew down to the garden.

Answer: b) The dog ran down the hill happily.

4. Which idiom means to feel sad?

a) Down to earth
b) Down in the dumps
c) Down the line
d) Down by the river

Answer: b) Down in the dumps

5. What is the opposite of "down"?

a) Below
b) Under
c) Up
d) Through

Answer: c) Up