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downstream

adjective · adverb · verb

Simple meaning

Toward the lower part of a stream.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

downstreem

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈdaʊnstˈɹim

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adjective

  1. Toward the lower part of a stream; with the current (of a river, brook, or other flow of fluid).

  2. figurative

    Occurring later than something else; (also, usually, especially) influenced by something else; being a consequence of something else.

adverb

  1. Following the path of a river or stream.

verb

  1. To stream downward.

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Toward the lower part of a stream; with the current (of a river, brook, or other flow of fluid).

Used this way, downstream is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use downstream

  • “We launched our kayak and let it drift downstream.”adverb

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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Antonyms

Sense: toward the lower part of a stream

upstreamupriver

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.