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Glite Dictionary
🚗 Changing to lower gear 🌱 Simpler living
downshifting

downshifting

1 4.4
Move a vehicle into a lower gear to slow down or get more power
  • noun
  • /ˈdaʊnˌʃɪftɪŋ/
translation icon : reducción de marcha
  • He practiced downshifting during his driving lessons to ensure he could stop safely on inclines.

That was a nice downshift and a nice ride.

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Examples

  • You don’t know what downshifting can do till you’ve downshifted in a Porsche.

    I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)

  • The driver smoothly engaged in downshifting to enhance control while navigating the steep hill.

  • Downshifting, Harry would urge the truck forward, and they all tensed their bodies as if that would help.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • While not neck-snappingly fast, the Dart delivered big when I hit the gas, although it needed some degree of downshifting of the Fiat 6-speed transmission to get the engine where I wanted it to go. But once I did, this little sportster was sailing.

    Blog text (34)

  • Proper downshifting helps prevent the engine from over-revving when slowing down.

Synonyms

gear change
vsdownshifting
  • UK
1 3.2

Moving the gears in a car changes speed or power

refers specifically to changing to a lower ratio to slow down or increase power

Antonyms

upshift
1 5.6

The change to a higher gear in a vehicle to go faster or save fuel

How Fast

slowing
13 2.7
downshifting
1 4.4
to brake
23 1.0
emergency brake
  • US
8 2.7

Surface Forms

downshifting singular
downshifting plural

Morphology

downshifting = downshift (transparent) = down + shift + ing

The action is directly formed from 'down' (lower) + 'shift' (change gear) with -ing marking the action, so the meaning is clear.

Etymology

Downshifting comes from the simple parts down ('lower') and shift ('move' or 'change'), so in driving it means 'moving to a lower gear' to slow the car or get more power.