Cool MateCome down vs Decrease
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Come down
Top 2,000 (common)
Decrease
Top 2,000 (common)B2verb
| Come down | Decrease | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //kʌm daʊn//🇺🇸 //kʌm daʊn// | 🇬🇧 //dɪˈkriːs//🇺🇸 //dɪˈkriːs// |
| Meaning | To lower in position or to decrease. | To make something smaller or lower. |
| Example | Please come down from the roof carefully. | The government plans to decrease taxes next year. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | come down to earth, come down hard, come down in price, come down for dinner, come down with an illness | decrease in size, decrease in temperature, significantly decrease, gradually decrease, decrease the risk |
| Antonyms | - | increase, rise, augment |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'come up' which means to increase or approach., Using 'come down' with a direct object, which is incorrect., Mixing up the preposition when trying to indicate direction. | Confusing 'decrease' with 'increase'., Using 'decrease' without an object, e.g. 'decrease' must have something to decrease., Incorrectly conjugating the verb in different tenses. |
| Usage notes | Use 'come down' when talking about moving to a lower place or when discussing decreasing prices or moods. It's suitable for casual conversation and informal contexts. | Use 'decrease' in formal and neutral contexts to describe reductions, such as in appetite or temperature. |
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Frequently asked questions: Come down vs Decrease
What's the difference between Come down and Decrease?
Come down: To lower in position or to decrease. Decrease: To make something smaller or lower.
Can you show an example of each?
Come down: Please come down from the roof carefully. Decrease: The government plans to decrease taxes next year.
Can I use Come down and Decrease interchangeably?
Not always. Come down and Decrease are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.