What Does Put Down Mean?

A put down is a phrase often used in slang usage to mean a type of a dismissal or a kind of negative response similar to a rejection, usually in the form of a criticism or a condescending comment. It is literally a 'put down' in the sense, by commenting in a critical way about someone, you are 'putting him down' or making him feel humiliated or rejected. Put down are often used in western high school cultures, wherein an individual is humiliated by another by saying something derogatory about him in front of everyone else. It is a very cruel way of making fun of someone and may leave an impact on the child's brain.

In another context, a put down is a theatrical term used to describe a characteristic parody in good humour.

Put down is a phrasal verb. When you put down something on paper, you jot it down or register it. It means to record or write down. A slight deviation in the meaning 'to write down', indicates the listing of someone under subscribers' or contributors' list. For example: he put me down for monthly subscriber. Put down also means 'to suppress or to check'. For example: the riot was put down by the police forces.

When someone puts down something to something else, he is attributes or ascribes it to the other thing. For example: he puts his low grades down to his illness. Put down is equivalent to categorization or labelling. For example: she was put down as timid.

Put down has different connotations and are as follows: to criticize; to humiliate; to pay as deposit; to stock up for future use; to put to death (animal) and to land an aircraft.