downstairs

downstairs — adverb

1. moving toward or located on a level of a building that is lower than your presen

1.adverbA2
Definition

moving toward or located on a level of a building that is lower than your present floor, for instance by walking down the staircase

Example

Tara went downstairs to answer the doorbell when it rang.

verb of motion + downstairs + purpose clause

The spare bedroom is downstairs, next to the laundry room.

be + downstairs (location)

Common collocations
  • go downstairs
  • come downstairs
  • run downstairs
  • walk downstairs
  • head downstairs
  • be downstairs
  • wait downstairs
Synonyms
  • down

    used informally in place of 'downstairs', e.g. 'She went down to the kitchen'

  • below

    slightly more formal; can refer to any lower level, not necessarily reached by stairs

Antonyms
  • upstairs

    the opposite direction or location on a higher floor

Usage Note

The adverb is by far the most common use of 'downstairs'. It pairs naturally with verbs of motion such as 'go', 'come', 'run', and 'walk'.

Common Mistakes

I went to downstairs to get my bag.
I went downstairs to get my bag.
'downstairs' already contains the idea of direction, so 'to' is not needed.

downstairs — adjective

downstairs — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Downstairs' is the most precise word for moving toward or being on a lower floor of a building. 'Down' is a shorter, informal alternative often used in everyday speech ('She went down to the kitchen' instead of 'downstairs'). 'Below' is broader — it can describe anything at a lower level, not necessarily reached by stairs or inside a building ('The temperature below is freezing'). 'Down the stairs' specifies the path of movement rather than the destination, so you can say 'He ran down the stairs' but not '*He is down the stairs' to mean he is on the lower floor. Choose 'downstairs' when you want to be clear about the floor level; use 'down' for casual conversation; use 'below' in more formal or spatial contexts; and use 'down the stairs' only when emphasizing the staircase itself.

downstairs ↗down ↗below ↗down the stairs

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • from downstairs
  • to downstairs
  • in the downstairs

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Combines 'down' (from Old English 'dūn', meaning 'from a higher to a lower position') with 'stairs' (from Old English 'stǣġer', meaning 'a step or staircase', related to 'stīgan' meaning 'to climb'). First recorded as a single compound word in the early 1600s.