Down for the Count Meaning, Examples and Synonyms

Down for the count is an idiom that means being badly defeated. By definition, the term means when one is knocked down to the ground and is unable to rise within 10 seconds as it is in boxing.  

When you say someone got down for the count you can literally mean that someone has fallen and is unable to rise up again. Additionally, you can also mean that someone got defeated or failed terribly at what they were doing. 

This phrase is in use since the 1900s and has been taken as a reference from Boxing. When a person in a Boxing match is knocked down and is unable to get up again before the referee counts to 10. In other words, they lose the game!

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Usage and Examples

This term is usually used when there is no scope for the person to get up and back into the game again. It means that the person or subject is done for good. 

This idiom is used more for referring to people in professional or formal situations. It can also be used in casual or private situations. The usage of the idiom also adds a hint of respect for the loser who falls while fighting.

Instead of being used literally, the phrase down for the count is used more in a figurative manner. To symbolise a defeat, doom or failure. Here are some examples of how you can use the idiom down for the count in your conversations: 

• He was waiting for Grandpa to come back but his sickness got him down for the count. 
• We tried saving the project but inflation took us down for the count. 
• The whole city was down for the count after the nuclear attack. 
• I am down for the count in this matter, it’s no more my business.

Also Read: Useful Idioms with Examples, Sentences and Meanings

Synonyms and Similar Words to Down for the Count

Here are words and phrases that mean the same as down for the count.

• Defeated
• Doomed
• Ruined
• Spent
• Used up 
• Dead to the world
• Passed out
• On the skids
• Up the creek without a paddle

Down for the Count Meaning Quiz

I had such a terrible day that I went down for the count instead of_____. 

1. Having lunch
2. Trying to pick me up
3. Taking a break

Ans: Trying to pick me up

Also Read: Idioms for IELTS

This was all about the idiom get your act together meaning and examples. Hope you understood the concept where it’s used. For more such blogs, follow Leverage Edu.