lower

lower — verb

1. to move a person or thing from a higher position to a place that is nearer the g

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to move a person or thing from a higher position to a place that is nearer the ground.

Example

The nurse gently lowered the sleeping baby into the crib.

lower + direct object + adverb phrase of direction

Christopher lowered the bucket into the well until it touched the water.

Common collocations
  • lower + anchor/flag/bucket/head
  • lower carefully/gently/slowly
  • lower into/onto/from
Synonyms
  • drop

    implies letting go or falling freely; 'lower' suggests controlled movement

  • bring down

    more informal, phrasal verb; similar meaning

  • let down

    emphasizes releasing from a higher position, e.g. letting down a rope

Antonyms
  • raise

    to move something to a higher position

  • lift

    to move something upward, often with effort

Grammar Patterns

lower + noun phrase

lower + noun phrase + adverb/preposition

Common Mistakes

I lowered down the box.
I lowered the box.
'lower' already includes the idea of moving down, so 'down' is unnecessary unless specifying a path.

2. to make something smaller in amount, level, or degree — for example, reducing a

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to make something smaller in amount, level, or degree — for example, reducing a price, the volume of a radio, or the temperature of a room.

Example

The supermarket lowered the price of milk to attract more customers.

lower + price (price/cost/fee common objects)

Vikram lowered the volume on his headphones so he could hear the doorbell.

Common collocations
  • lower + price/cost/temperature/volume/speed/rate
  • lower + by (10%/half)
  • lower + to (a specific level)
Synonyms
  • reduce

    very similar; 'reduce' is slightly more formal and common with abstract nouns

  • cut

    implies a sharper or more deliberate reduction, common with prices and budgets

  • decrease

    more formal; can be used both transitively and intransitively

Antonyms
  • raise

    to increase the level or amount of something

  • increase

    to make something larger in amount or degree

Grammar Patterns

lower + noun phrase (price/cost/temperature/volume)

Usage Note

Commonly used with numerical or measurable nouns such as price, cost, rate, temperature, volume, speed, and level. Unlike 'decrease' or 'reduce', 'lower' is rarely followed by a number directly ('lowered the cost by 10%' is fine; 'lowered 10%' alone is not).

Common Mistakes

It rained a lot and the temperature lowered.
It rained a lot and the temperature dropped/fell.
'lower' is normally transitive; use 'drop' or 'fall' for intransitive meanings.

3. to damage the quality, standard, or reputation of something so that it is not as

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to damage the quality, standard, or reputation of something so that it is not as good as it used to be.

Example

Repeated budget cuts lowered the quality of education at the school.

lower + quality/standard (abstract nouns of value)

Sora felt that the new reality show lowered the level of television programming.

Common collocations
  • lower + standards/quality/morale/tone
  • lower + the value/level/reputation of
Synonyms
  • degrade

    stronger; implies serious damage to quality or dignity

  • worsen

    general-purpose; can be transitive or intransitive

  • cheapen

    specifically about reducing value or worth

Antonyms
  • improve

    to make something better

  • raise

    to increase the level or standard of something

Grammar Patterns

lower + noun phrase (standards/quality/morale)

Usage Note

Subject is often an action, event, or policy. The object is typically an abstract noun denoting a standard (quality, value, level, tone, morale). Distinguish from sense 2 (REDUCE), where the change is neutral or desirable (lowering price) — here the change is always negative.

Common Mistakes

The hot weather lowered my mood.
The hot weather worsened my mood / brought down my mood.
'lower' in this sense applies more to standards/quality than to personal feelings.

4. to do something that causes others to hold a worse opinion of you — for instance

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to do something that causes others to hold a worse opinion of you — for instance, lying, cheating, or acting in a way you know is wrong.

Example

Amani refused to lie to the clients because she would not lower herself that way.

lower + reflexive pronoun (oneself/yourself)

The politician lowered himself in the public's eyes by accepting bribes.

Common collocations
  • lower + yourself/oneself
  • lower yourself + by + -ing
  • lower yourself + in someone's opinion/eyes
Synonyms
  • debase

    more formal and stronger; to reduce someone's moral standing

  • humiliate

    focuses on causing shame; can be done to oneself or by others

  • stoop

    similar meaning; 'stoop to something' implies doing something normally beneath one's standards

Grammar Patterns

lower + oneself/yourself

lower + oneself + by + gerund

Usage Note

Almost always used with a reflexive pronoun (oneself, yourself, himself, herself). The pattern 'lower oneself to + gerund' is common ('lowered himself to begging'). Negative constructions ('would not lower myself') are especially frequent.

Common Mistakes

He lowered his reputation.
He lowered himself in people's eyes.
The reflexive pattern is the standard form; 'lower someone's reputation' is not natural.

5. (of the sky or clouds) to become dark and threatening in a way that suggests a s

5.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

(of the sky or clouds) to become dark and threatening in a way that suggests a storm is coming.

Example

The sky lowered as the storm clouds rolled in from the east.

the sky + lower (subject is always sky/clouds)

Lakshmi looked up at the lowering sky and decided to bring an umbrella.

Common collocations
  • the sky lowers
  • lowering sky
  • lowering clouds
Synonyms
  • darken

    more common; describes the sky growing darker for any reason

  • grow dark

    descriptive phrase, less literary

  • threaten

    as in 'the sky threatened rain'; personification

Grammar Patterns

the sky + lowers

lower + (in subject-verb only)

Usage Note

Restricted to literary or descriptive writing. The subject must be 'the sky', 'the heavens', or 'clouds'. This sense is never used with a direct object and rarely appears in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

The weather lowered.
The sky lowered.
Only 'sky' or 'heavens' works as the subject; 'weather' is too broad.

6. to look angry, annoyed, or displeased by pulling your eyebrows together and turn

6.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to look angry, annoyed, or displeased by pulling your eyebrows together and turning down the corners of your mouth.

Example

The old man lowered at the children who were making noise outside his window.

lower + at + someone (target of displeasure)

Ilan lowered at the menu when he saw how expensive the dishes were.

Common collocations
  • lower + at + someone
  • lower + in + frustration/anger
Synonyms
  • frown

    most common word; can mean any expression of concentration or displeasure

  • scowl

    shows clear anger or disapproval; stronger than 'frown'

  • glower

    to stare angrily; implies the eyes more than the mouth

Antonyms
  • smile

    to show pleasure or amusement with the mouth

Grammar Patterns

lower + at + noun phrase

Usage Note

Very rare in modern English; 'scowl' and 'frown' are far more common. This sense and the noun sense (FROWN) share the same etymological root, distinct from the other verb senses. Typically followed by 'at' to indicate the target of displeasure.

Common Mistakes

She lowered at me because I was late.
She frowned/scowled at me because I was late.
'lower' in this sense is so rare that most native speakers would misunderstand it.
Idioms

lower the bar

idiom

To make a standard or requirement less strict or easier to achieve.

The teacher lowered the bar so more students could pass the exam.

Should we lower the bar for this project to meet the deadline?

lower yourself (by doing something)

idiom

To do something that makes people respect you less.

Maya refused to lower herself by lying to her boss.

He would never lower himself to cheat on the test.

raise/lower your sights

idiom

To change your expectations to be higher or lower.

After the budget cut, the team lowered their sights and planned a smaller event.

Sara raised her sights and applied for a more challenging job.

raise/lower the temperature

idiom

To increase or decrease the level of excitement or emotion in a situation.

His joke lowered the temperature in the tense meeting.

The protest raised the temperature of the debate on campus.

lower — adjective

lower — noun

Word family

  • low
    adjectiveA1
  • lowly
    adjectiveC1
  • lowness
    nounC2
  • lowermost
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All five words describe making something smaller or less, but they differ in formality, transitivity, and typical objects. 'Lower' is neutral and transitive, common with prices, volume, temperature, and standards ('lower the volume'). 'Reduce' is slightly more formal and works with a broader range of nouns, including abstract ones ('reduce stress', 'reduce emissions'). 'Decrease' is the most formal of the group and can be used both transitively and intransitively ('the population decreased' / 'they decreased spending'). 'Cut' implies a sharper, often deliberate reduction and is common with budgets, costs, and jobs ('cut funding'). 'Drop' is more informal and frequently intransitive ('prices dropped'), though it can be transitive in less formal contexts ('drop the price'). For everyday use with concrete measures (temperature, volume, speed), 'lower' is the most natural choice. For formal writing, 'reduce' or 'decrease' are safer.

reducelowerdecreasecutdrop

Common collocations

Nouns

  • price
  • cost
  • rate
  • level
  • temperature
  • volume
  • speed
  • standard
  • value
  • intake

Adverbs

  • significantly
  • dramatically
  • gradually
  • slightly
  • sharply
  • considerably

Phrases

  • lower the bar
  • lower the boom
  • lower one's sights
  • lower your voice
  • lower the temperature (figurative)

Prepositions

  • to
  • by
  • from
  • below

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'lower' has two distinct origins that merged in spelling. The more common meanings (MOVE DOWN, REDUCE, BELOW) come from the adjective 'low', which entered Middle English from Old Norse 'lág-r' meaning 'low, short, humble'. The comparative suffix '-er' was added to form the adjective 'lower', and the verb form developed in the 13th century meaning 'to cause to descend'. The 'frown/scowl' meanings (verb sense 6 and the noun) come from a different source — Middle English 'louren' or 'lowren' meaning 'to frown, scowl, look sullen', related to Middle Dutch 'loeren' (to lurk, watch). These two etymological lines converged in spelling by the 16th century, and the 'frown' senses became rare in modern English.