fall down

fall down

1. To drop or fall from a particular place or height. Lucy fell down at the playground and scraped her knee. One of the picture frames fell down last night—that was the noise you heard.

2. To fail to do something adequately or as expected. To convey this meaning, the phrase "fall down on the job" is often used. It was the government's duty to make sure their citizens were protected from a financial disaster like this, but they've fallen down on the job. Jeez, what a glaring mistake. It looks like someone fell down on the job.

See also: down, fall

fall down

to drop or topple. The baby fell down. Walk carefully on this ice or you will fall down.

See also: down, fall

fall down

Fail to meet expectations; lag in performance. For example, It was disappointing to see him fall down on the job. This expression transfers a literal drop to a figurative one. [Second half of 1800s]

See also: down, fall

fall down

v.

To drop or tip over: I slipped on the ice and fell down the steps. A lot of trees fell down during the hurricane.

See also: down, fall