Downshift

/ˈdaʊnʃɪft/ · noun

Meaning

A change of direction or a movement downwards..

Definitions by Sense

1. A change of direction or a movement downwards.
2. A reduction in quality or quantity.
3. A change in career or lifestyle to one which is not as well paid but less stressful and more personally rewarding.
4. (automotive, cycling) A shift of a transmission into a lower gear, as dictated by heavier load on the engine, as for example when climbing a hill or strongly accelerating.
5. To reduce (something) in quality or quantity (as effect, scope, speed, etc.)
6. To change (one's career or lifestyle) to one which is not as well paid but less stressful and more personally rewarding.
7. To shift (a car or bicycle) into a lower gear.
8. To function at a lower rate; to slacken.

Example Sentences

The driver, Lindsay, gave me a regal wave at the top after he had completed a series of perfect downshifts[.]

But in this variation on Superbad's wild night of transgression, downshifting the age of the protagonists from teen to tween actually only enhances the stealth, wide-eyed innocence that secretly drives this genre of pre-college hedonism.

He brought the car to a stop before the bridge, downshifted and then put her at the road again in a rising disciplined snarl along the N.6 to Cannes.

In a stick-shift vehicle, the driver must downshift when necessary; in an automatic, the transmission downshifts as needed.

Synonyms for downshift

Antonyms for downshift

Related Words

Word Forms

• downshifts
• downshifting
• downshifted

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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