to smooth down
1
3.8
- phrasal verb
- /smuːð daʊn/
:
alisar
- And then I like to smooth down my little baby hairs.
- smoothed down her hair
- smoothed down her skirt
- smoothed down her dress
Examples
-
She paid the bill, picked up her bag, smoothed down her hair, and left.
Fiction book (1996) -
Ada and Ruby stood up from the steps and took turns touching each other's braids to smooth down stray hairs and tuck in loose pieces.
Fiction book (1997) -
Walter reached out and smoothed down his hair.
Fiction book (1995) -
Her voice was low, and her hands smoothed down the skirt of her light gray dress.
Fiction book (1996) -
The man in the yellow shorts smoothed down stray hair on his head.
Fiction book (1996) -
As Sarah smoothed down Laurie's hair, she thought, "When we come to trial, this is the way she's got to look."
Fiction book (1992) -
The Security Officer smooths down his mustache, takes a deep breath, and reassumes his calm: "How did that happen?"
Fiction book (1998) -
Her normally spiked magenta hair was smoothed down, presumably for the occasion.
Fiction book (1999) -
In seconds, he smoothed down all telltale tracks in the snow, reattached his skis, and followed her trail up several yards.
Fiction book (1996) -
After the wind blew through her hair, she quickly smooothed down the strands to look presentable again.
Synonyms
594
1.4
To become less angry, excited, or upset
305
2.1
To make something less painful or difficult
81
3.7
To make land or a building flat with the ground
46
3.7
To make a process or situation easier by removing obstacles
23
2.6
Make something flat and smooth by pressing it
18
4.9
Make a problem or argument seem less serious without fixing it
18
3.4
To make a surface, amount, or relationship level by removing differences
8
7.2
To make someone less angry or upset
6
3.4
Make a process or problem easier by removing difficulties
5
3.4
To become flat and smooth after being uneven
1
5.8
To make a surface such as hair smooth and shiny by using a product or pushing it flat
1
4.4
To make something better by fixing small problems
To make a surface flat and even by rubbing or polishing
To make a surface smooth by moving something over it
To make paper or cloth smooth again after it becomes wrinkled
Antonyms
How Smooth
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'smooth' (to make even) combined with 'down' (indicating downward/flattening direction or completion); a B1 learner who knows both words can infer 'to make less rough or to flatten/calm' without prior exposure. This verb + particle construction is a common, compositional pattern in English (and in many languages), so the expression is transparent.
Etymology
Smooth down comes from the simple image of pressing a wrinkled surface flat: you smooth the bumps and push down to make it even. That's why it now means 'to make something less rough or difficult' or 'to calm and fix' a problem.