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DOWNWARDS
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I. (adverb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower level or position
Example:
prices plunged downward
Synonyms:
down; downward; downwardly; downwards
Classified under:
Antonym:
upwards (spatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher position)
Context examples:
We had gathered in a little group at the bottom of the chasm, some forty feet beneath the mouth of the cave, when a huge rock rolled suddenly downwards—and shot past us with tremendous force.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
A moment later, however, he flung it over his head, and caught it bottom downwards upon the calf of his left leg.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
I saw the fingers and toes grasp the corners of the stones, worn clear of the mortar by the stress of years, and by thus using every projection and inequality move downwards with considerable speed, just as a lizard moves along a wall.
(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)
As the common size of the natives is somewhat under six inches high, so there is an exact proportion in all other animals, as well as plants and trees: for instance, the tallest horses and oxen are between four and five inches in height, the sheep an inch and half, more or less: their geese about the bigness of a sparrow, and so the several gradations downwards till you come to the smallest, which to my sight, were almost invisible; but nature has adapted the eyes of the Lilliputians to all objects proper for their view: they see with great exactness, but at no great distance.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
The height of the trees and the thickness of the boles exceeded anything which I in my town-bred life could have imagined, shooting upwards in magnificent columns until, at an enormous distance above our heads, we could dimly discern the spot where they threw out their side-branches into Gothic upward curves which coalesced to form one great matted roof of verdure, through which only an occasional golden ray of sunshine shot downwards to trace a thin dazzling line of light amidst the majestic obscurity.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
At last, however, his foot came upon a broad resting-place and he ventured to cast a glance downwards.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
To explain the manner of its progress, let A B represent a line drawn across the dominions of Balnibarbi, let the line c d represent the loadstone, of which let d be the repelling end, and c the attracting end, the island being over C: let the stone be placed in position c d, with its repelling end downwards; then the island will be driven upwards obliquely towards D.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
Back and forward reeled the leopard banner, now borne up the slope by the rush and weight of the onslaught, now pushing downwards again as Sir Nigel, Burley, and Black Simon with their veteran men-at arms, flung themselves madly into the fray.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
In a little time I felt something alive moving on my left leg, which advancing gently forward over my breast, came almost up to my chin; when, bending my eyes downwards as much as I could, I perceived it to be a human creature not six inches high, with a bow and arrow in his hands, and a quiver at his back.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
Norbury tugged thrice with all his strength upon the cord, and then lowered himself over the edge, while a hundred anxious faces peered over at him as he slowly clambered downwards to the end of the rope.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
