come down with — to become ill with a particular disease or illness
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to become ill with a particular disease or illness
Pronunciation (IPA): /kʌm daʊn wɪð/
Example Sentences
- Right before his wedding, Tom came down with chicken pox and looked like a polka-dotted groom.
- The entire soccer team came down with stomach flu after eating at that questionable hot dog stand.
- She always seems to come down with mysterious illnesses right before important exams.
come down with
VERB[/kʌm daʊn wɪð/]
to become ill with a particular disease or illness
She seems to come down with a cold every winter without fail.
Come down with flu, come up with breakthrough!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The phrase 'come down with' originated from the literal meaning of 'come down'—to move from a higher to lower place—which underwent metaphorical extension in the 19th century. As health conditions were conceptualized as states of elevation or decline, the phrase came to mean descending from good health into illness, particularly when 'with' was added to indicate accompanying a disease or illness.
Breakdown
come (to move, arrive) + down (downward direction, descent) + with (accompanied by, in the company of). The phrase treats illness as something one descends into or is overcome by, combining physical descent with the notion of being afflicted by a disease.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Right before his wedding, Tom came down with chicken pox and looked like a polka-dotted groom.”
“The entire soccer team came down with stomach flu after eating at that questionable hot dog stand.”
“She always seems to come down with mysterious illnesses right before important exams.”
“Many students came down with the flu during the final exam period.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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