put down

What it means

To place something you are holding onto a surface like a table or the floor. It can also mean to criticise someone in a hurtful way, or to write something on paper.

Examples

• Please put down your phones during dinner so we can talk.
• She put the heavy bag down and stretched her tired arms.
• He's always putting his colleagues down in front of the boss.
• Put down your name and address at the top of the form.

Where it comes from

Separable: 'put it down' or 'put down the box'. The noun 'put-down' means an insulting remark designed to make someone feel small.

Related phrasal verbs