phrasal verb · neutral

put down

/pʊt daʊn/PUT·down

speakingtask2

to criticise someone (make them feel unimportant); to write something down; (also) to kill an animal to end its suffering

Examples

Please don't put me down in front of my friends.

I put my ideas down in a notebook.

They had to put the injured horse down.

Band 8 sentence

Rather than put colleagues down for small mistakes, a good manager offers constructive feedback.

Collocations

  • put someone down
  • put ideas down

Word family

put down (v) verbputting down (v-ing) verbput down (past/p.p.) verb

Common mistakes

He put down my name on the list (meaning: he removed it).He put my name down on the list.

Don't put me down = don't write me downDon't put me down = don't insult me

Say it for a higher band

5insult6note down7+put down

Synonyms

insult

note down

Easily confused

insult

It was rude to insult her in front of everyone.

note down

I noted down his phone number.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In put …

Learn it with its set