Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To shift a motor vehicle into a lower gear.
- intransitive verb To reduce the speed, rate, or intensity of something.
- intransitive verb To simplify or reduce one's expectations or commitments, especially in work hours.
- intransitive verb To shift (a motor vehicle) into a lower gear.
- intransitive verb To reduce in speed, rate, or intensity.
- intransitive verb To simplify or reduce one's commitments in (one's life).
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To shift a
transmission into a lower gear. - verb To function at a lower rate.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a change to a lower gear in a car or bicycle
- noun a change from a financially rewarding but stressful career to a less well paid but more fulfilling one
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Fleming managed a convincing attacca downshift from the "éternellement lumineux" young bodies of "La maison" to an intoxicated, drill-sergeant bark for "Les deux guerriers."
Archive 2009-04-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2009
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Fleming managed a convincing attacca downshift from the "éternellement lumineux" young bodies of "La maison" to an intoxicated, drill-sergeant bark for "Les deux guerriers."
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow Matthew Guerrieri 2009
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Time to downshift from the Bush Derangement Syndrome, folks. burritoboy Says:
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Baby boomers decide to "downshift" -- fewer CDs. more time -- have figured this out: Owen Byrd and Maria Lines of Palo Alto, Calif., a public-interest lawyer and an engineer, decided to cut their $100,000 income by $20,000 this year to get an extra day at home.
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The auto has a paddle-shifter on each side of the steering wheel - right for up, left for down - and uncannily the system has a device called downshift rev matching, causing one passenger to remark: "I thought this was an automatic."
Stuff.co.nz - Stuff 2010
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Mr. Nicolau had earlier this year said the company had the flexibility to ramp up 2010 production to 2.7 million ounces but Monday said that wouldn't be appropriate, given the recent "downshift" in the global economic recovery.
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But the Cryptoterrestrial Hypothesis is grounded in a more familiar context; I'm not suggesting unseen dimensions or the need for ufonauts to "downshift" to our level our consciousness.
Archive 2006-12-01 Mac 2006
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Fighting constantly to "downshift" our family routine.
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Fighting constantly to "downshift" our family routine.
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Or a dual-mode air card for a laptop that would automatically "downshift" from 4G to 3G when it traveled to an area where the WiMAX rollout hadn't yet arrived.
Internet News 2008
lea commented on the word downshift
I just heard from the radio, that Kate Moss was proud to tell about her downshift from owning 5 departments to 4 departments. That's my girl! (WTF?)
March 26, 2009