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call down

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call someone down

to reprimand a person; to bawl someone out. The teacher had to call down Sally in front of everybody. "I wish you wouldn't call me down in public," cried Sally.

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call something down

(on someone) Fig. to invoke some sort of divine punishment onto someone. The preacher sounded as though he was calling down the wrath of God on us. Moses called down a plague on the Pharoah.

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call something down (to someone)

to shout something to a person on a lower level. The worker called a warning down to the people below. She called down a warning to them.

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call down

1. Invoke, as from heaven; for example, He called down the wrath of God. [Early 1800s]

2. call someone down. Scold or reprimand, as in The conductor called her down for playing out of tune. [Mid-1800s] For a synonym, see dress down, def. 1.

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call down

v.

1. To shout something from a higher level to a lower one: I called down from the balcony to the people onstage.

2. To summon someone from a higher level to a lower one: I was upstairs getting dressed when my dad called me down for dinner. I waited in the bleachers until they called down my group.

3. To ask for someone's presence at some location; summon someone: The police called me down to the station to identify the robber. I was called down to the principal's office to explain why I was late.

4. To criticize or reprimand someone: The teacher called me down for being late. The grouchy boss took a cruel delight in calling down the members of the staff.

5. To invoke something, as from heaven: The prophet called down punishment on the wicked. Their sins called a plague down upon them.

See also: call, down