What Does “Put Someone Down” Mean? How to Use “Put Down” Correctly Real-Life Examples of “Put Down” in Context
Imagine a startup office: during a big meeting, one employee suggests a new idea, but the boss sharply comments: “That’s complete nonsense—who even came up with this?” Everyone goes silent, tension rises, and the colleague feels humiliated. Here, put someone down means to publicly humiliate, criticize, or belittle someone.
Another scenario—at a tech exhibition, an employee is demonstrating a prototype, and their colleague mockingly says: “This won’t even work!” — they put down the idea.
He put her down in front of the whole team.
Don’t put down other people’s ideas.
Favorite Put Downs in media?
byu/ballistic90 inTwoBestFriendsPlay
Put something/someone down [pʊt daʊn] — phrasal verb definition: to criticize, belittle, or publicly devalue a person, their opinion, or their idea; to make someone feel stupid, unimportant, or unworthy.
Synonyms for “Put Someone Down”:
belittle, criticize, demean, mock, disparage
Antonyms for “Put Someone Down”:
praise, compliment, support, encourage, uplift
