"wind down" meaning in English

See wind down in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /waɪnd ˈdaʊn/ Audio: En-au-wind down.ogg [Australia] Forms: winds down [present, singular, third-person], winding down [participle, present], wound down [participle, past], wound down [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|wind<,,wound> down}} wind down (third-person singular simple present winds down, present participle winding down, simple past and past participle wound down)
  1. (transitive, of an object that can be raised or lowered) To lower by winding, as with a crank or windlass. Tags: transitive Synonyms: roll down, lower
    Sense id: en-wind_down-en-verb-en:lower_by_cranking Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (down) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 16 5 27 24 26 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (down): 21 8 26 21 24
  2. (transitive, of a device with a mainspring) To unwind. Tags: transitive Synonyms: unwind, deactivate
    Sense id: en-wind_down-en-verb-en:unwind_the_spring
  3. (transitive) To shut down slowly (by degrees or in phases). Tags: transitive Synonyms: unwind, shut down Derived forms: winddown
    Sense id: en-wind_down-en-verb-en:shut_down_gradually Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (down) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 16 5 27 24 26 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (down): 21 8 26 21 24
  4. (intransitive) To slow, as if coming to an end; to become calmer or less busy. Tags: intransitive Synonyms: taper off
    Sense id: en-wind_down-en-verb-en:taper_off_intransitively Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (down) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 16 5 27 24 26 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (down): 21 8 26 21 24
  5. (intransitive, idiomatic) To relax; to get rid of stress; to destress. Tags: idiomatic, intransitive Categories (topical): Rest Synonyms: calm down, unwind, chill out, let off steam
    Sense id: en-wind_down-en-verb-en:calm_down Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (down) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 16 5 27 24 26 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (down): 21 8 26 21 24

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for wind down meaning in English (5.7kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "winds down",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "winding down",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wound down",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wound down",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "wind<,,wound> down"
      },
      "expansion": "wind down (third-person singular simple present winds down, present participle winding down, simple past and past participle wound down)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wind up"
        },
        {
          "word": "roll up"
        },
        {
          "word": "raise"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "16 5 27 24 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 8 26 21 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (down)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Wind down the car window if you want to talk to me.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To lower by winding, as with a crank or windlass."
      ],
      "id": "en-wind_down-en-verb-en:lower_by_cranking",
      "links": [
        [
          "winding",
          "wind#Etymology_2"
        ],
        [
          "crank",
          "crank"
        ],
        [
          "windlass",
          "windlass"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, of an object that can be raised or lowered) To lower by winding, as with a crank or windlass."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of an object that can be raised or lowered"
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:lower by cranking"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "roll down"
        },
        {
          "word": "lower"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wind"
        },
        {
          "word": "wind up"
        },
        {
          "word": "activate"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "You'd better wind down that wind-up toy before you take it apart, or pieces might go flying.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To unwind."
      ],
      "id": "en-wind_down-en-verb-en:unwind_the_spring",
      "links": [
        [
          "mainspring",
          "mainspring"
        ],
        [
          "unwind",
          "unwind#Verb"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, of a device with a mainspring) To unwind."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a device with a mainspring"
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:unwind the spring"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "unwind"
        },
        {
          "word": "deactivate"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "activate"
        },
        {
          "word": "fire up"
        },
        {
          "word": "power up"
        },
        {
          "word": "start up"
        },
        {
          "word": "boot up"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "16 5 27 24 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 8 26 21 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (down)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "28 12 51 0 9",
          "word": "winddown"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "A program as complex as the Space Shuttle program takes some time to wind down.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "December 15 2022, Samanth Subramanian, “Dismantling Sellafield: the epic task of shutting down a nuclear site”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "As a result, Bowman admitted, Sellafield’s scientists are having to invent, mid-marathon, the process of winding the site down – and they’re finding that they still don’t know enough about it.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To shut down slowly (by degrees or in phases)."
      ],
      "id": "en-wind_down-en-verb-en:shut_down_gradually",
      "links": [
        [
          "shut down",
          "shut down"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To shut down slowly (by degrees or in phases)."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:shut down gradually"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "unwind"
        },
        {
          "word": "shut down"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "16 5 27 24 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 8 26 21 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (down)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The festival seems to be winding down now.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To slow, as if coming to an end; to become calmer or less busy."
      ],
      "id": "en-wind_down-en-verb-en:taper_off_intransitively",
      "links": [
        [
          "slow",
          "slow"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To slow, as if coming to an end; to become calmer or less busy."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:taper off intransitively"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "taper off"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "power up"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Rest",
          "orig": "en:Rest",
          "parents": [
            "Body",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 5 27 24 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 8 26 21 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (down)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "After a long day at work, she winds down by kickboxing.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To relax; to get rid of stress; to destress."
      ],
      "id": "en-wind_down-en-verb-en:calm_down",
      "links": [
        [
          "relax",
          "relax"
        ],
        [
          "stress",
          "stress"
        ],
        [
          "destress",
          "destress"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, idiomatic) To relax; to get rid of stress; to destress."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:calm down"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "calm down"
        },
        {
          "word": "unwind"
        },
        {
          "word": "chill out"
        },
        {
          "word": "let off steam"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/waɪnd ˈdaʊn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-wind down.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/52/En-au-wind_down.ogg/En-au-wind_down.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/En-au-wind_down.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wind down"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs with particle (down)",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "winddown"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "winds down",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "winding down",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wound down",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wound down",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "wind<,,wound> down"
      },
      "expansion": "wind down (third-person singular simple present winds down, present participle winding down, simple past and past participle wound down)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wind up"
        },
        {
          "word": "roll up"
        },
        {
          "word": "raise"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Wind down the car window if you want to talk to me.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To lower by winding, as with a crank or windlass."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "winding",
          "wind#Etymology_2"
        ],
        [
          "crank",
          "crank"
        ],
        [
          "windlass",
          "windlass"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, of an object that can be raised or lowered) To lower by winding, as with a crank or windlass."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of an object that can be raised or lowered"
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:lower by cranking"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "roll down"
        },
        {
          "word": "lower"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wind"
        },
        {
          "word": "wind up"
        },
        {
          "word": "activate"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "You'd better wind down that wind-up toy before you take it apart, or pieces might go flying.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To unwind."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mainspring",
          "mainspring"
        ],
        [
          "unwind",
          "unwind#Verb"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, of a device with a mainspring) To unwind."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a device with a mainspring"
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:unwind the spring"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "unwind"
        },
        {
          "word": "deactivate"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "activate"
        },
        {
          "word": "fire up"
        },
        {
          "word": "power up"
        },
        {
          "word": "start up"
        },
        {
          "word": "boot up"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "A program as complex as the Space Shuttle program takes some time to wind down.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "December 15 2022, Samanth Subramanian, “Dismantling Sellafield: the epic task of shutting down a nuclear site”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "As a result, Bowman admitted, Sellafield’s scientists are having to invent, mid-marathon, the process of winding the site down – and they’re finding that they still don’t know enough about it.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To shut down slowly (by degrees or in phases)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "shut down",
          "shut down"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To shut down slowly (by degrees or in phases)."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:shut down gradually"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "unwind"
        },
        {
          "word": "shut down"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The festival seems to be winding down now.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To slow, as if coming to an end; to become calmer or less busy."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "slow",
          "slow"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To slow, as if coming to an end; to become calmer or less busy."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:taper off intransitively"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "taper off"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "power up"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Rest"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "After a long day at work, she winds down by kickboxing.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To relax; to get rid of stress; to destress."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "relax",
          "relax"
        ],
        [
          "stress",
          "stress"
        ],
        [
          "destress",
          "destress"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, idiomatic) To relax; to get rid of stress; to destress."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:calm down"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "calm down"
        },
        {
          "word": "unwind"
        },
        {
          "word": "chill out"
        },
        {
          "word": "let off steam"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/waɪnd ˈdaʊn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-wind down.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/52/En-au-wind_down.ogg/En-au-wind_down.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/En-au-wind_down.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wind down"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.