Standard Lemma guide

download

noun · verb · 9 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.

  • /ˈdaʊnˌləʊd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with (verb) -əʊd
  • US: /ˈdaʊnˌloʊd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˌdaʊnˈləʊd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D AW1 N L OW2 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A file transfer to a given computer or device from a remote one through a network connection.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The download took longer than I expected.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A file that has been or is intended to be transferred in this way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I got the download but it wouldn't work on my computer.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To transfer data to a given computer from a remote one via a network.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • You can download a trial version of the program for thirty days to determine whether you want to purchase the full version.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

Synonym of upload: to send data from a given computer to a remote one.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: nonstandard, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: upload

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

Synonym of copy: to transfer data to or from removable media.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: nonstandard, transitive

Examples

  • When I was your age, there were no flash drives. I needed to download photos to a CD-ROM.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: copy

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

Synonym of install: to load software forced.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: nonstandard, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: install

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To load a gun (especially a muzzle-loader) with less propellant than its designed load.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: engineering, firearms, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To transfer jurisdiction and responsibility of a government asset or service to a lower level of government.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

transfer a file or program from a central computer to a smaller computer or to a computer at a remote location

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: upload

Broader terms: transfer

History

Etymology

From down- + load. Verbal form first appears c. 1962 in the Wichita Falls (Texas) Times. Nominal form first appears c. 1977 in Scientific American.

Across languages

Translations

224 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَنْزِيل (tanzīl) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Arabic: تَحْمِيل (taḥmīl) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Armenian: ներբեռնում (nerbeṙnum) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Bengali: ডাউনলোড (ḍaunlōḍ) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Catalan: baixada — file transfer to the local computer
  • Chinese Cantonese: 下載 /下载 (haa6 zoi3) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Chinese: 下載 /下载 (zh-min-nan) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Chinese Mandarin: 下載 /下载 (xiàzǎi) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Cornish: iskarg — file transfer to the local computer
  • Czech: stažení — file transfer to the local computer
  • Czech: stahování — file transfer to the local computer
  • Dutch: download — file transfer to the local computer
  • Esperanto: elŝuti — file transfer to the local computer
  • Esperanto: malenretigi — file transfer to the local computer
  • Finnish: lataus — file transfer to the local computer
  • Finnish: imurointi — file transfer to the local computer
  • French: téléchargement — file transfer to the local computer
  • Galician: descarga — file transfer to the local computer
  • Georgian: ჩამოტვირთვა (čamoṭvirtva) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Georgian: გადმოტვირთვა (gadmoṭvirtva) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Georgian: ჩამოქაჩვა (čamokačva) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Georgian: გადმოქაჩვა (gadmokačva) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Georgian: გადმოწერა (gadmoc̣era) — file transfer to the local computer
  • German: Download — file transfer to the local computer
  • German: Herunterladen — file transfer to the local computer
  • Greek: καταφόρτωση (katafórtosi) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Gujarati: ઉતારવું (utārvũ) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Hebrew: הוֹרָדָה (horadá) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Hindi: डाउनलोड (ḍāunloḍ) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Hindi: अवचयन (avacyan) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Hindi: अवाहरण (avāhraṇ) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Hindi: अवारोपण (avāropaṇ) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Hungarian: letöltés — file transfer to the local computer
  • Icelandic: niðurhal — file transfer to the local computer
  • Ido: deskargo — file transfer to the local computer
  • Indonesian: unduhan — file transfer to the local computer
  • Indonesian: sedot — file transfer to the local computer
  • Irish: íoslódáil — file transfer to the local computer
  • Italian: download — file transfer to the local computer
  • Italian: scaricamento — file transfer to the local computer
  • Japanese: ダウンロード (daunrōdo) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Khmer: ទាញយក (tiəñ yɔɔk) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Korean: 다운로드 (daunnodeu) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Korean: 내려받기 (naeryeobatgi) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Korean: 다운 (daun) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Lao: ດາວໂຫຼດ (dāo lōt) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Lithuanian: parsiuntimas — file transfer to the local computer
  • Lithuanian: atsisiuntimas — file transfer to the local computer
  • Luxembourgish: Download — file transfer to the local computer
  • Luxembourgish: Eroflueden — file transfer to the local computer
  • Macedonian: презе́мање (prezémanje) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Macedonian: симну́вање (simnúvanje) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Malay: muat turun — file transfer to the local computer
  • Marathi: डाउनलोड (ḍāunloḍ) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Khiamniungan Naga: tāushá — file transfer to the local computer
  • Norwegian: nedlastning — file transfer to the local computer
  • Persian: دانلود — file transfer to the local computer
  • Persian: بارگیری (bârgiri) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Polish: pobieranie — file transfer to the local computer
  • Portuguese: download — file transfer to the local computer
  • Portuguese: descarregamento — file transfer to the local computer
  • Romanian: descărcare — file transfer to the local computer
  • Russian: ска́чивание (skáčivanije) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Russian: ска́чка (skáčka) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Russian: даунло́уд (daunlóud) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Sanskrit: अवारोपण (avāropaṇa) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Sanskrit: अवाहरण (avāharaṇa) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Sanskrit: अवचयन (avacayana) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Serbo-Croatian: preuzimanje — file transfer to the local computer
  • Serbo-Croatian: skidanje — file transfer to the local computer
  • Sicilian: scarricamentu — file transfer to the local computer
  • Spanish: descarga — file transfer to the local computer
  • Spanish: transferencia directa — file transfer to the local computer
  • Spanish: bajada — file transfer to the local computer
  • Spanish: bajamiento cibernético — file transfer to the local computer
  • Spanish: ciberbajamiento — file transfer to the local computer
  • Sundanese: unjal — file transfer to the local computer
  • Swedish: nedladdning — file transfer to the local computer
  • Swedish: nerladdning — file transfer to the local computer
  • Tamil: பதிவிறக்கம் (pativiṟakkam) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Tamil: டவுன்லோட் (ṭavuṉlōṭ) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Thai: ดาวน์โหลด (daao-lòot) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Tibetan: ཕབ་ལེན་བྱེད (phab len byed) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Turkish: indirme — file transfer to the local computer
  • Ukrainian: заванта́ження (zavantážennja) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Urdu: ڈاؤنلوڈ (ḍāunloḍ) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Uyghur: چۈشۈرمەك (chüshürmek) — file transfer to the local computer
  • Vietnamese: sự tải xuống — file transfer to the local computer
  • Vietnamese: sự truyền xuống — file transfer to the local computer
  • Vietnamese: sự nạp xuống — file transfer to the local computer
  • Vietnamese: sự viễn nạp — file transfer to the local computer
  • Walloon: aberwetaedje — file transfer to the local computer
  • Welsh: lawrlwythiad — file transfer to the local computer
  • Zhuang: aeuroengz — file transfer to the local computer
  • Arabic: نَزَّلَ (nazzala) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Armenian: ներբեռնել (nerbeṙnel) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Armenian: քաշել (kʻašel) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Azerbaijani: yükləmək — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Azerbaijani: endirmək — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Belarusian: спампава́ць (spampavácʹ) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Bengali: ডাউনলোড করা (ḍaunlōḍ kora) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Bulgarian: свалям (svaljam) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Catalan: baixar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Catalan: descarregar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Chinese Mandarin: 下載 /下载 (xiàzǎi) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Cornish: iskarga — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Czech: stáhnout — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Czech: stahovat — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Danish: nedlagre — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Danish: downloade — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Danish: hente — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Dutch: downloaden — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Dutch: afladen — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Dutch: binnenhalen — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Dutch: binnenladen — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Esperanto: elŝuti — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Estonian: alla laadima — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Estonian: tõmbama — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Extremaduran: abaxal — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Finnish: ladata — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Finnish: imuroida — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Finnish: imuttaa — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • French: télécharger — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • West-Frisian: binnenhelje — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Galician: descargar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Galician: baixar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Georgian: ჩამოტვირთავს (čamoṭvirtavs) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • German: herunterladen — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • German: downloaden — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Greek: κατεβάζω (katevázo) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Hebrew: הוריד (horíd) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Hindi: उतारना (utārnā) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Hindi: अवारोपण (avāropaṇ) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Hindi: अवाहरण (avāhraṇ) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Hindi: अवचयन (avacyan) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Hungarian: letölt — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Icelandic: niðurhala — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Icelandic: hlaða niður — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Ido: deskargar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Indonesian: mengunduh — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Interlingua: discargar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Irish: íoslódáil — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Irish: lódáil anuas — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Italian: scaricare — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Japanese: ダウンロードする (daunrōdo suru) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Kazakh: жүктеу (jükteu) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Khmer: ទាញយក (tieñ yɔɔk) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Korean: 다운로드하다 (daunnodeuhada) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Korean: 다운로드받다 (daunnodeubatda) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Korean: 다운받다 (daunbatda) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Korean: 내려받다 (naeryeobatda) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Lao: ດາວໂຫຼດ (dāo lōt) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Lithuanian: atsisiųsti — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Luxembourgish: eroflueden — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Luxembourgish: roflueden — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Luxembourgish: downloaden — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Luxembourgish: erofsuckelen — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Macedonian: пре́зема (prézema) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Macedonian: си́мнува (símnuva) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Malay: muat turun — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Marathi: डाउनलोड करणे (ḍāunloḍ karṇe) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Mirandese: çcarregar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Mirandese: çcargar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Mirandese: fazer download — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Mongolian: татах (tatax) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Khiamniungan Naga: tāulōuh — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Norman: dêchèrgi — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Norwegian: laste ned — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Norwegian: nedlaste — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: lasta ned — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: nedlasta — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Polish: pobierać — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Polish: pobrać — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Polish: ściągać — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Polish: ściągnąć — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Portuguese: descarregar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Portuguese: baixar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Portuguese: fazer download — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Portuguese: sacar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Romanian: descărca — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Russian: ска́чивать (skáčivatʹ) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Russian: кача́ть (kačátʹ) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Russian: скача́ть (skačátʹ) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Northern Sami: viežžat — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Sanskrit: अवारोपण (avāropaṇa) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Sanskrit: अवाहरण (avāharaṇa) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Sanskrit: अवचयन (avacayana) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Scottish Gaelic: luchdaich a-nuas — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Serbo-Croatian: downloadati — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Serbo-Croatian: preuzeti — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Serbo-Croatian: skinuti — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Sicilian: scarricari — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Spanish: descargar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Spanish: bajar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Spanish: bajar cibernéticamente — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Spanish: ciberbajar — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Swahili: pakua — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Swedish: ladda ner — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Swedish: ladda hem — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Swedish: tanka ner — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Swedish: tanka hem — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Swedish: tanka — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Swedish: dra ner — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Swedish: dra hem — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Swedish: ta hem — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Swedish: plocka hem — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Tamil: பதிவிறக்கு (pativiṟakku) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Tamil: டவுன்லோட் பண்ணு (ṭavuṉlōṭ paṇṇu) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Thai: ดาวน์โหลด (daao-lòot) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Tigrinya: ኣውርድ (ʾawrəd) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Turkish: indirmek — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Ukrainian: заванта́жувати (zavantážuvaty) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Ukrainian: заванта́жити (zavantážyty) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Ukrainian: ска́чувати (skáčuvaty) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Ukrainian: скача́ти (skačáty) — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Vietnamese: tải — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Vietnamese: tải xuống — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Vietnamese: tải về — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Walloon: aberweter — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Welsh: lawrlwytho — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Welsh: llwytho i lawr — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Zazaki: ronayen — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Zhuang: aeuroengz — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
  • Zhuang: dawzroengz — to transfer data from a remote computer to a local one
Real reading context

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