noun · verb · 4 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈdaʊntɜːn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/ˈdaʊntɝn/
Australian:/ˈdæɔntɜːn/
CMU ARPABET:D AW1 N T ER2 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A downward trend, or the beginnings of one.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Near-synonym: decline
The downturn in the economy made it harder to find jobs.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: decline
Antonyms: upturn, uptick, increase, improvement
Broader terms: turn, change, trend
2
verb
Meaning 2
To turn downwards.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To decline.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a worsening of business or economic activity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the market took a downturn
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: downswing
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: worsening
Narrower terms: downspin
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English down- Proto-Indo-European *terh1- Proto-Indo-European *-nos Proto-Indo-European *tórh1nos Proto-Hellenic *tórnos Ancient Greek τόρνος (tórnos)bor. Latin tornus Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin tornōbor. Proto-West Germanic *turnēn Old English turnian ▲ Latin tornō Old French tornerbor. Middle English turnen English turn English downturn From down- + turn.
Across languages
Translations
23 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
спад
(spad)
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Catalan:
daltabaix
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Chinese Mandarin:
衰退
(shuāituì)
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Chinese Mandarin:
下降
(xiàjiàng)
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Finnish:
lasku
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Finnish:
heikkeneminen
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Finnish:
taantuma
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Finnish:
laskusuhdanne
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
French:
ralentissement
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
French:
déclin
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
German:
Abschwung
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
German:
Rückgang
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Italian:
recessione
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Italian:
calo
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Japanese:
下降
(kakō)
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Korean:
하강
(hagang)
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Māori:
paheketanga
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Māori:
hurirapanga
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Portuguese:
declínio
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Russian:
спад
(spad)
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Spanish:
bajón
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Swedish:
nedgång
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one
Ukrainian:
спад
(spad)
— a downward trend, or the beginnings of one