I. down ‧ ward /ˈdaʊnwəd $ -wərd/ BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
1 . moving or pointing towards a lower position OPP upward :
a gentle downward slope
2 . moving to a lower level OPP upward :
Share prices continued their downward trend.
She was caught in a downward spiral of drink and drugs.
⇨ ↑ downwards
II. down ‧ wards /ˈdaʊnwədz $ -wərdz/ BrE AmE ( also downward ) adverb
1 . towards a lower level or position OPP upwards :
Nina glanced downwards.
Hold out your hands with your palms facing downwards.
The body was lying face downwards (=with the front of the body on the floor) .
2 . used when a number or amount becomes smaller OPP upwards :
The death toll was later revised downwards to 689.
3 . from the chairman/president/top etc downwards used to mean that people of all levels in an organization, country etc are affected by something:
Everyone from the chairman downwards is taking a pay cut.