How do you use "put your foot down" in a sentence?

Put your foot down or we'll be late!' (drive fast) I had to put my foot down about the deadline.' (insist) Once we hit the motorway, he really put his foot down.

put your foot down

Q: What does "put your foot down" mean?

drive fast / insist on something Two meanings: to accelerate (press the pedal), or to insist firmly on something. Context determines meaning.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian Unknown informal

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Meaning: drive fast / insist on something

开快车／坚持己见

Acelerar / insistir con firmeza.

スピードを出す／断固として主張する

속도를 내다 / 단호하게 주장하다

Two meanings: to accelerate (press the pedal), or to insist firmly on something. Context determines meaning.

两个含义：踩油门加速，或坚持某件事。由上下文决定含义。

Dos significados: acelerar (pisar el pedal) o insistir con firmeza en algo. El contexto determina el significado.

二つの意味がある：アクセルを踏んで加速すること、または何かを断固として主張すること。文脈で意味が決まる。

두 가지 의미가 있다: 가속하다(페달을 밟다)와 무언가를 단호하게 주장하다. 문맥에 따라 의미가 결정된다.

Examples

Put your foot down or we'll be late!' (drive fast)
踩油门啊，要迟到了！
¡Pisa a fondo o llegaremos tarde!
アクセル踏んで！遅れるよ！
밟아! 늦겠어! (속도를 내다)
I had to put my foot down about the deadline.' (insist)
我不得不在截止日期的问题上态度强硬。
Tuve que plantarme con lo de la fecha límite.
締め切りについて断固とした態度をとらなければならなかった。
마감에 대해 단호한 태도를 취해야 했어. (주장하다)
Once we hit the motorway, he really put his foot down.
一上高速，他就猛踩油门了。
En cuanto llegamos a la autopista, pisó a fondo.
高速道路に入ったら、一気にスピードを上げた。
고속도로에 올라타자 그는 정말 속도를 냈다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: driving, assertiveness

Tone: urgent or firm

✓ Do Say

Urge speed
催促加速
apremiar velocidad
スピードを促す
속도를 재촉할 때
Express determination
表达坚定立场
expresar determinación
決意を示す
결연한 의지를 표현할 때

✗ Don't Say

Context needed for meaning
需要上下文才能理解意思
Se necesita contexto para entender el significado
文脈がないと意味が分からない
문맥이 있어야 의미가 통함

Origin & History

The driving meaning comes from pressing the accelerator pedal. The insistence meaning is older, from the 19th century.

Cultural Context

Era: timeless

Generation: all ages

Social background: all