To turn down something means to make it lower, such as the volume. It also means to say no to an offer or a request.
What Does Turn Down Mean?
Turn down has two main meanings. They look unrelated, but both go down.
- Make something lower: the volume, the heat or the light. You turn a dial or a button.
- Refuse: say no to an offer, an invitation or a request.
Please turn down the music. I'm trying to read.
Leo turned down the invitation because he had football practice.
🗣️ Natural Examples
Making something lower:
Turn the TV down. It's too loud.
It's a hot day, so I turned down the heating.
Can you turn down the lights? They're too bright.
Refusing:
Mia turned down the job at the ice cream shop.
The club turned his idea down, but they said thank you.
I'd love to come, but I have to turn the invitation down.
✂️ Can You Separate It?
Yes. Turn down is separable: the thing you're turning down can go in the middle.
With a noun, both places are fine.
✅ Turn down the music.
✅ Turn the music down.
With it, them, him, her, me, the small word must go after.
✅ Turn it down.
❌ Turn down it.
✅ They turned me down.
❌ They turned down me.
🛠️ How to Use It
- Volume, heat, light: turn down + the thing. Turn down the radio.
- Refusing an offer: turn down + the offer. She turned down the invitation.
- Refusing a person's request: turn down + the person or the request. They turned him down for the team.
- Past tense: turned down.
- The opposite is turn up: Turn up the volume.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Put it in the middle.
❌ Please turn down it.
✅ Please turn it down.
Turn down is not turn off.
❌ Please turn down the TV. I want it silent. (you want it off)
✅ Please turn off the TV. / Please turn down the TV. (quieter, but still on)
💬 In a Conversation
Sam: Did you turn down the offer?
Mia: Which offer?
Sam: The job at the ice cream shop.
Mia: Yes. I turned it down.
Sam: Why?
Mia: The freezer was too loud, and I couldn't turn it down.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Picture a volume dial. Turn it down, and the sound gets lower. Turn it all the way down, and you get no sound at all.
Turn down an offer = turn the answer all the way down to "no."
👯 Similar Expressions
- refuse or decline: more formal words for saying no.
- say no to: the simple, everyday way. I said no to the offer.
- reject: to say no firmly, often to an idea or a plan.
- turn up: the opposite when it's about volume. Turn up the music.
- turn off: to stop something completely, not just make it lower.