Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Turn Down

Definition: Turn Down

Turn Down

Verb

1. Refuse to accept; "He refused my offer of hospitality".

2. Refuse entrance or membership; "They turned away hundreds of fans"; "Black people were often rejected by country clubs".

3. Reject with contempt; "She spurned his advances".

4. Take a downward direction; "The economy finally turned down after a long boom".

5. Make lower or quieter;"turn down the volume of a radio".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

 

Synonyms: Turn Down

Synonyms: decline (v), disdain (v), freeze off (v), lour (v), lower (v), pass up (v), pooh-pooh (v), refuse (v), reject (v), scorn (v), spurn (v), turn away (v). (additional references)
Antonyms: accept (v), admit (v). (additional references)

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Synonyms within Context: Turn Down

ContextSynonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).

Fold

Verb: fold, double, plicate, plait, crease, wrinkle, crinkle, crankle, curl, cocker, rimple, rumple, flute,frizzle, frounce, rivel, twill, corrugate, ruffle, crimple, crumple, pucker; turn down, double down, down under; tuck, ruck, hem, gather.

Refusal

Verb: refuse, reject, deny, decline, turn down; nill, negative; refuse one's assent, withhold one's assent; shake the head; close the hand, close the purse; grudge, begrudge, be slow to, hang fire; pass.

Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

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Crosswords: Turn Down

English words defined with "turn down": To turn down. (references)
Specialty definitions using "turn down": BARREL-LATHE OPERATOR, INSIDEDogs'-earskeg-lathe operator, insideReal Programmers Don't Use Pascal. (references)

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Modern Usage: Turn Down

DomainUsage

Screenplays

Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint (Seinfeld; writing credit: Andreas Lenze; Bea Schmidt)

! Did I hear you just turn down a date with that girl (Cheers; writing credit: Isaac Cronin; Wayne Wang)

Can you please turn down the house lights and turn on the stage lights (C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation; writing credit: Kenta Fukasaku; Koshun Takami)

Ugh! It's getting kind of cold. I think I should turn down this air breeze a little- (Hey Arnold!; writing credit: Luís Filipe Rocha)

I was told that I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven, I told bill that if Sandra is going to listen to her headphones while she's filing then I should be able to listen to the radio while I'm collating so I don't see why I should have to turn down the radio because I enjoy listening at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven (Office Space; writing credit: Mike Judge)

Clever

Why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio? (references; author: unknown)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Turn Down

Computer Images:
Turn Down

More pictures...

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Non-Fiction Usage: Turn Down

SubjectTopicQuote

Travel

Qatar

U.S. business representatives visiting Qatar should not turn down an invitation to lunch or dinner at the home of their trade partners. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Spoken Usage: Turn Down

SpeakerPhrase(s)

Dennis Miller

I've seen security personnel turn down the volume on the metal detectors so they can debate whether or not Yasmine Bleeth is hotter in person.

Stephen Engelberg

Well, I don't think any journalist in the world would want to turn down that opportunity, although at this point I think it gets kind of tricky. I think the logistics are even more challenging than John has suggested, which are bad enough.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Expressions: Turn Down

Expressions using "turn down": To turn down turn down a request turn down an invitation turn down the corner of a page turn down the corner of the page. Additional references.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Turn Down

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day

turn down the light

5

no turn down credit card

3
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translation: Turn Down

Language Translations for "turn down"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.

Albanian

  

ul (abase, cast down, cheapen, couch, decline, depress, disparage, drop, embus, furl, humble, incline, keep down, knock off, land, lower, modulate, pull down, reduce, scale down, seat, sink, strike, subdue, subside, throw, untuck), palos (double, double up, flatten, fold, furl, turn back), kthej (bandy, bend, bow, bring back, convert, disgorge, fold in, give back, head off, lift down, replace, restore, return, slew, throw back, transform, transit, turn, turn aside), hedh poshtë (censure, confute, contradict, controvert, decline, demolish, detrude, disclaim, disprove, dispute, knock out, push aside, rebut, refute, reject, repudiate, sweep away, wave aside), hap (anatomize, cave, detect, dig, disclose, display, dissect, distribute, drive, expand, footstep, inaugurate, move, open, open up, pace, peg, pitch, remove, roll out, spread, start, step, stretch, strew, turn on, unblock, unbolt, unbosom, uncap, unclasp, unclench, unclose, uncork, uncover, undo, undraw, unfurl, unhook, unlatch, unlock, unreel, unseal, unshutter, unwrap, walk). (various references)

   

Arabic 

  

‏قلب رأسا على عقب (turn the tables), ‏طوى (double, double back, fold, lap, pleat, replicate, roll up, wreathe, writhe), ‏خفض (ax, axe, bear, bring down, cut, debase, deplete, depreciation, depress, dropping, lessen, lower, lowering, mark down, minimize, pull down, put down, rebate, recline, retrench, scale down, shorten, sink, slake, slam, slash, step down, stitch down, subdue, whittle down), ‏ثنى الصفحة, ‏رفض (decline, defy, denial, denied, deny, disallow, disapproval, disapprove, dismiss, ignore, negate, negation, negative, nix, objection, odium, overrule, pass up, rebuff, refusal, refuse, reject, rejection, renouncement, repel, reprobate, repudiate, repudiation, repulse, scorn, set aside, throw out, throw over, toss). (various references)

   

Bulgarian 

  

сгъвам (fold), свалям (bring down, cast off, doff, douse, down, drop, drop off, get down, get off, land, lay, let off, overthrow, prang, prostrate, pull down, pull off, put down, put off, reach down, remove, ring down, rip down, rush, set down, shuck off, shuffle off, stretch, take down, take off, tear away, tear down, tear off, throw off, unbelt, uncap, unhorse, unship, vail), свивам (bend, constrict, contract, convulse, cop, double, double up, draw, knap, knit, knit together, knot, neck, pinch, pucker, roll, screw, screw up, set, shorten, snitch, swing, turn, twist, wad, warp, work), спадам (decline, decrease, deflate, dip, ease, ease off, ebb, fall, lower, recede, sag, sink), спад (drop, recession), който се обръща, който се носи обърнат, отказана стока, обръщам надолу, намалявам светлината на, завивам (blanket, swing, tuck, turn, turn off, wrap), западам (come down, decay, dwindle, fail, falter, go back, molder, moulder, sag, sink). (various references)

   

Chinese 

  

駁回 (overrule, reject). (various references)

   

Czech

  

ztlumit (cushion, damp down, deaden, dim, dip, hush, soften, tone down), zahnout (bend, clench, clinch, turn, turn in), přivřít, přitáhnout (pull up, tighten), odmítnout (decline, deny, impeach, kill, rebuff, refuse, reject, renege, repel, repudiate, repulse, snub, wave aside). (various references)

   

Finnish

  

torjua luotaan (dismiss a thought from one's mind, keep at a distance, turn away), vääntää radio hiljemmäksi, vääntää pienemmälle. (various references)

   

French

  

se fléchir, replier (tuck, turn back), rejeter, refuser, rabattre, descendre, baisser. (various references)

   

German

  

zurückschlagen (beat back, beat off, beatback, fight back, flare back, fold back, hit back, kick, knock away, knock back, leaf back, pull back, repel, repulse, retaliate, return, roll back, strike back, swing back, to repulse, to strike back), umschlagen (change suddenly, crack, double back, envelop, fold back, knock over, put on, transfer, transship, turn back, veer round), umlegen (apply, bring down, bump off, change, do in, floor, hit, knock down, put on, put round, re-lay, reorder, screw, split the cost, tilt, transfer, turn over), umklappen (fold down, pass out), niederschlagen (beat down, cast down, down, fell, flatten, knock down, knockdown, lower, precipitate, put down, quell, suppress, to condense, to knock down, to knockdown, waive), herunterklappen (let down), ausschlagen (be deflected, beat out, bowl out, bud, burgeon, germinate, hit out, kick, kick out, knock out, lash out, redound, refuse, reject, start to bud, swing round, waive), abweisen (dismiss, refuse, reject, repel, repulse, to repel, to repulse, turn away), abschlagen (beat off, bully off, chip off, chop down, cut off, cutting, hack off, hew off, knock down, knock off, punt, refuse, reject, repulse, sever, severance, slash off, tee off, to refuse, wipe out), absagen (call off, cancel, cry off, decline, refuse, renege, to call off, to renege), ablehnen (challenge, decline, disallow, disapprove of, disclaim, object, oppose, opt out, overrule, quash, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, throw out, to decline, to defeat, to deprecate, to depreciate, to disclaim, to disown, to refuse, to repudiate, to turn down, vote out), abdecken (block off, cover, discover, flay, mask, skin, strip, to mask, uncover, unroof). (various references)

   

Greek 

  

απορρίπτω (cast, disallow, discard, disclaim, fail, overrule, refuse, reject, scout, shed). (various references)

   

Hungarian

  

visszahajtás (turnback, turn-down), letûz, lehalkít (to lower, to soften, to turn down), lehajtott (turn-down, turned down, turned in), lehajt (bent, lower, recline, sank, slouch, sunk, to bend, to sink, to stoop, to tip off, to turn down). (various references)

   

Indonesian

  

mengecilkan (disparage, make something small). (various references)

   

Italian

  

ripiegare (bend, bend again, fall back, fold up, lower, refold, withdraw), rifiutare (decline, deny, disallow, rebut, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, throw over, withhold). (various references)

   

Japanese Kanji 

  

"し出'断る (to turn down an offer), 折"る (to refrain, to repeat, to tell again and again, to turn down, to turn up), 折曲'る (to bend, to double, to turn down, to turn up), 折り曲'る (to bend, to double, to turn down, to turn up), 折れ"る (to refrain, to repeat, to tell again and again, to turn down, to turn up), 断わる (to decline, to excuse oneself, to refuse, to reject, to turn down), 没にする (to reject, to turn down), 弱くする (to turn down). (various references)

   

Japanese Katakana 

  

おりま'る (to bend, to double, to turn down, to turn up), おれかえる (to refrain, to repeat, to tell again and again, to turn down, to turn up), ぼつにする (to reject, to turn down), "とわる (to ask leave, to decline, to dismiss, to excuse oneself, to inform, to refuse, to reject, to turn down), もうしで'"とわる (to turn down an offer), よわくする (to turn down). (various references)

   

Manx

  

injillaghey (change down, cheap, cheap morally, condescend, cut, cut down, debase, defer, degradation, degrade, demote, demotion, depreciate, depreciation, depress, depression, die down, humiliate, humiliation, level down, reduce, reduction, relegate, sink, step down, subdue, subject, submit, subordinate, subordination, vulgarization, vulgarize), filley neose. (various references)

   

Pig Latin

  

urntay ownday.(various references)

   

Portuguese

  

rejeitar (cast off, condemn, confute, daff, deny, disapprove, disavow, discard, disclaim, get up the better, negative, overrule, pill, pip, put by, rebuff, rebut, refuse, reject, renounce, repel, reprobate, repudiate, repulse, throw-out), recusar (balk, challenge, confute, decline, deny, dismiss, pill, pish, put back, rebut, refuse, reject, reprobate, repulse, set aside, withhold), dobrar para baixo, declinar (decay, declare, decline, state), baixar (come down, down, draw down, droop, drop, ebb, fall, get down, go down, issue, let down, let up, lower, pull down, recede, reduce, sink, subside, take down, tone down), abaixar (bring down, decrease, derogate, descend, down-grade, lower, reduce). (various references)

   

Russian 

  

убавлять, сворачивать (shunt, swerve, veer, wrap, zagged), отклонять (decline, deflect, divert, lead off, reject, set ~ aside, set aside, turn aside), отвергать (cast aside, disallow, discard, discarding, jettison, negate, negative, override, overrule, rebut, refuse, refuse to admit, reject, rejecting, repel, repudiate, repulse, spurn, vote down), подвертывать. (various references)

   

Serbo-Croatian

  

utišati (calm, hush, mollify), umanjiti (attenuate, cut back, decrease, detract, diminish, extenuate, make a hole in, minify, minimize, reduce), spustiti (bring down, drop, fall, hang up, keep down, lay down, lend, let down, lower, put down, set down), presaviti (centerfold, fold, tuck), preklopiti (fold, lap), odbiti (cast aside, counter, decline, deduct, deny, disallow, dock, drive back, fend off, fight off, keep off, knock off, overrule, parry, rebuff, reflect, refuse, reject, repel, repudiate, repulse, stave off, strike up, throw back, turn away, turn back, ward off, wean). (various references)

   

Spanish

  

tornar (dial, transform), volver hacia abajo, rechazar (ban, beat back, beat off, defeat, deny, deprecate, disallow, disavow, discard, disclaim, discourage, dismiss, disown, drive back, fend, fend off, fight off, hand off, hold off, negative, overrule, Parry, pass up, press back, push back, put aside, rebuff, rebut, refuse, reject, repel, repudiate, repulse, say no to, scout, set aside, Spike, spurn, stave off, stem, throw back, throw out, thrust aside, turn away, vote down, vote out, ward off, wave aside, wave away), poner boca abajo (pronate), no aceptar (disallow, turn away), bajar (abase, abate, bow, bring down, climb down, come down, cut, decline, decrease, deign, demean, demote, depreciate, descend, detrain, discount, dismount, download, drop, drop off, duck, ebb, fall, fall away, fall back, fall off, get down, get off, get out, go below, go belowdecks, go down, hand down, hang, hop off, let down, lift down, lower, pull down, put down, rebate, recede, reduce, ring down, sag, set out, sink, step down, stoop, subside, take down, trail, walk down, walk off, wind down). (various references)

   

Swedish

  

vika ner, skruva ner, förkasta (cast off, denounce, disallow, disapprove, disavow, discard, jettison, kill, negative, overrule, reject, reprobate, repudiate, throw overboard), fälla ner (let down, shut), avvisa (disallow, dismiss, meet, overrule, rebuff, reject, repulse, send away, set aside, spurn, throw over, turn away, wave aside), avslå (decline, dismiss, refuse, refusing, reject, repulse). (various references)

   

Turkish

  

ters dönmek (capsize, overturn, turn, turn turtle, turn upside down), ters çevirmek (invert, turn inside out, turn upside down, upturn), reddetmek (abnegate, cast off, challenge, controvert, damn, declare off, deny, disaffirm, disallow, disapprove, disavow, disdain, dismiss, disown, dispute, draw the line, fall down, gainsay, negate, negative, Nix, overrule, protest, quash, rebut, refuse, refute, reject, renege, renounce, repel, repudiate, rule out, scout, set aside, spurn, take objection to, throw out, turn back, turn thumbs down on, veto, wave aside), kıvırmak (angle, bend, contort, Crimp, crisp, crook, curl, curl up, do successfully, drape, enfold, entwine, entwist, fold, fold down, frill, frizz, frizzle, gauffer, goffer, gopher, handle, have a command of, inflect, intwine, manage, meander, squirm, squirm out of, tuck, tuck in, tuck up, turn back, twist, wind, wind up), kısmak (abridge, attenuate, ax, axe, check, choke, choke back, choke off, curtail, cut back, cut down on, depress, diminish, draw in, economize, narrow, pare, pare down, pinch, put down, qualify, reduce, retrench, scrimp, skimp, soften, stint, throttle, throttle down, tighten), içeri kıvrılmak. (various references)

   

Turkmen 

  

цзьrmek (put out, switch off, turn down a light). (various references)

   

Ukrainian

  

відкидати (abnegate, baffle, balk, brush away, cast aside, cast away, deny, disapprove, discard, divest, doff, forswear, jettison, negate, negative, non-concur, override, overturn, push back, rebut, reject, reprobate, repudiate, set aside, throw aside, throw away, toss aside, wave aside, wave away), зменшуватися (abate, decline, decrease, dispeople, drop across, drop off, ease, ease off, fall off), зменшувати (abate, allay, alleviate, ax, axe, belittle, cut back, decrease, detract, diminish, dwindle, extenuate, lessen, minify, palliate, relax, slacken, whittle away). (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Anagrams: Turn Down

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Direct Anagrams: downturn, turndown.

Words within the letters "d-n-n-o-r-t-u-w"

-1 letter: rundown.

-2 letters: rotund, turnon, untorn, untrod, unworn.

-3 letters: donut, drown, round, unwon, wound.

-4 letters: dour, down, dunt, durn, duro, noun, nowt, nurd, rout, runt, torn, tour, town, trod, trow, turd, turn, undo, unto, wont, word, worn, wort.

-5 letters: don, dor, dot, dow, dun, duo, nod, nor, not, now, nun, nut, ort, oud, our, out, own.

 Words containing the letters "d-n-n-o-r-t-u-w"
 

+1 letter: downturns, turndowns.

 

+4 letters: untowardness.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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INDEX

1. Definition
2. Synonyms
3. Crosswords
4. Usage: Modern
5. Images: Slideshow
6. Quotations: Non-fiction
7. Quotations: Spoken
8. Expressions
9. Expressions: Internet
10. Translations: Modern
11. Anagrams
12. Bibliography


  

Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.