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Glite Dictionary
🚗 To change down ⚙️ A lower gear 🌱 To live simpler 📉 A slowdown 💼 A simpler job
to downshift

to downshift

1 5.1
To move from a high-pressure job to simpler, less stressful work and life
  • verb
  • /ˈdaʊnʃɪft/
translation icon : reducir el ritmo de vida
  • He felt happier once he began to downshift his priorities and focus more on family and leisure.

Examples

  • Many city dwellers choose to downshift by moving to the countryside and spending less time in the office.

  • Thus, I downshifted almost every aspect of my life.

    Blog text (19)

  • After years of working overtime, she decided to downshift and enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle.

How Stressful

overwork
5 4.6
to cut back
169 2.9
to downshift
1 5.1
to retire
874 2.0

Surface Forms

downshift infinitive
downshifted past
downshifted past participle
downshifting present participle
downshifts third person singular

Morphology

downshift = shift (transparent) = down + shift

The lifestyle sense is a metaphorical but transparent use of 'down' + 'shift' meaning to move to a less intense way of living.

Etymology

To downshift joins down- 'lower' and shift 'change', like lowering the pace of your life. That's why to downshift means to reduce work or responsibilities to live more simply.