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Glite Dictionary
to plonk down

to plonk down

1 7.6
Sit or put something down heavily and carelessly
  • phrasal verb
  • UK
translation icon : dejar caer
  • The child plonked down his toys all over the living room, creating a mess.

Examples

  • No insurance companies to argue with, no Medicare-set reimbursement rates, patients willing to plonk down cold hard cash, and wealthy donors willing to write honking checks to the med school.

    Blog text (5)

  • He plonked down the heavy bag on the floor with a loud thud.

  • After a long day, she plonked down onto the couch and sighed in relief.

Synonyms

to flop
vsto plonk down
26 2.3

To fall or sit down heavily and suddenly because you are tired

is more about careless placement rather than tired or relaxed posture
to plunk
vsto plonk down
12 6.0

To put down something or sit down heavily so it makes a loud sound

adds a careless sit or place sense rather than only loudness
to plop
vsto plonk down
12 3.6

To sit or place something down suddenly with a soft sound

is noisier and more careless rather than softly audible
to plunk down
vsto plonk down
  • Informal
6 6.7

To put something down so it makes a noise or to pay money quickly

focuses on careless heavy placement rather than suddenness alone
to plonk
vsto plonk down
  • UK
2 7.8

To put something down heavily and loudly

means the same heavy careless placing with no meaningful difference
to plump
vsto plonk down
1 4.1

To sit or drop down heavily and suddenly

leans more toward careless sitting action rather than neutral dropping
to plank
vsto plonk down
1 7.2

To drop something or yourself down heavily, often making a noise

adds the idea of careless action and informal tone
to plank down
vsto plonk down
8.0

To put something down hard, often making a loud sound

stresses careless sitting or putting rather than only object placement
to plump down
vsto plonk down
  • UK
7.2

To put something or yourself down suddenly and heavily, often making a noise

emphasizes careless sitting rather than just noisy movement
to plump down
vsto plonk down
  • UK
6.0

To sit down suddenly in a heavy, relaxed way

is more general for careless heavy putting, not only relaxed sitting
to flump down
vsto plonk down
  • Informal
7.5

To sit or fall down suddenly and heavily, often because you are tired

is carelessness focused, not necessarily from tiredness or exhaustion
to land on one's tush
vsto plonk down
  • Baby Talk
9.3

To fall or sit down suddenly and hit your bottom

describes careless heavy placing rather than an accidental fall onto buttocks

Antonyms

to set down
70 1.7

To put something or someone down gently on a surface

How Heavy

collapse
350 4.1
to flop
26 2.3
to plonk down
  • UK
1 7.6
to sit down
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

plonk down infinitive
plonked down past
plonked down past participle
plonking down present participle
plonks down third person singular

Morphology

plonk + down

The sense 'to put or sit down heavily and carelessly' is directly derivable from combining 'plonk' (to set or drop something down noisily and heavily) with 'down' (toward a lower position). This follows a standard verb + particle compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Plonk down comes from the noisy image of something heavy falling: plonk copies the sound of a heavy drop and down shows the movement to a lower place. So, to 'plonk down' means 'to put or sit down heavily and carelessly'.