Standard Lemma guide

countdown

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AW1 N T D AW2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A count backward in fixed units to the time of some event, especially the launch of a space vehicle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: aerospace, astronautics, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The acts of preparation carried out during this period.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: aerospace, astronautics, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A radio or television program counting down the top songs of a given week, usually in reverse order and ending with the number one song.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: broadcasting, media, radio, television

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To count down.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: nonstandard

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

counting backward from an arbitrary number to indicate the time remaining before some event (such as launching a space vehicle)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: count, counting, numeration, enumeration, reckoning, tally

History

Etymology

From count + down.

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: numërim mbrapsht — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Arabic: عَدّ تَنَازُلِيّ (ʕadd tanāzuliyy) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Belarusian: зваро́тны адлі́к (zvarótny adlík) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Bulgarian: отброя́ване (otbrojávane) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Catalan: compte enrere — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Chinese Mandarin: 倒數 /倒数 (dàoshǔ) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Chinese Mandarin: 倒計時 /倒计时 (dàojìshí) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Czech: odpočítávání — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Dutch: aftelling — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Dutch: aftellen — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Finnish: lähtölaskenta — a count backward to the time of some event
  • French: compte à rebours — a count backward to the time of some event
  • French: décompte — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Georgian: უკუმიმართულებით ათვლა (uḳumimartulebit atvla) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Georgian: უკუათვლა (uḳuatvla) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • German: Countdown — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Greek: αντίστροφη μέτρηση (antístrofi métrisi) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Hebrew: ספירה לאחור (sfira le'akhor) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Hungarian: visszaszámolás — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Hungarian: visszaszámlálás — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Indonesian: hitung mundur — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Italian: conto alla rovescia — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Italian: conteggio alla rovescia — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Japanese: カウントダウン (kauntodaun) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Korean: 카운트다운 (kaunteudaun) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Macedonian: одбројување (odbrojuvanje) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Malay: bilang menurun — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Norwegian Bokmål: nedtelling — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: nedteljing — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Occitan: compte al revèrs — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Polish: odliczanie — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Portuguese: contagem regressiva — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Romanian: denumărare — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Romanian: numărare regresivă — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Romanian: numărare inversă — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Romanian: numărătoare inversă — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Russian: отсчёт (otsčót) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Russian: обра́тный счёт (obrátnyj sčot) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Russian: обра́тный отсчёт (obrátnyj otsčót) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Russian: счёт в обра́тном направле́нии (sčot v obrátnom napravlénii) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Slovene: odštevanje — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Spanish: cuenta atrás — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Spanish: cuenta regresiva — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Swedish: nedräkning — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Turkish: geri sayım — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Ukrainian: зворо́тний ві́длік (zvorótnyj vídlik) — a count backward to the time of some event
  • Dutch: aftelling — the acts of preparation carried out during this period
  • German: Zeitkontrolle — the acts of preparation carried out during this period
  • Greek: αντίστροφη μέτρηση (antístrofi métrisi) — the acts of preparation carried out during this period
  • Portuguese: contagem regressiva — the acts of preparation carried out during this period
  • Portuguese: retrocontagem — the acts of preparation carried out during this period
  • Russian: обра́тный отсчёт (obrátnyj otsčót) — the acts of preparation carried out during this period
  • Finnish: lista — a radio or television program counting down the top songs of a given week
  • French: hit-parade — a radio or television program counting down the top songs of a given week
  • French: top 50 — a radio or television program counting down the top songs of a given week
  • German: Countdown — a radio or television program counting down the top songs of a given week
Real reading context

countdown in complete knowledge articles