1To hang or suspend something; also, to wear an item (like a decoration) by hanging it.
玄関に風鈴を下げると、涼しげな音が響く。
When you hang a wind chime at the entrance, it makes a cool, refreshing sound.
彼女は首から社員証を下げて出社した。
She came to work with her employee ID hanging from her neck.
腰にカメラを下げて山に登った。
I climbed the mountain with a camera hanging from my waist.
2To lower, reduce, or bring down something such as a price, temperature, or volume.
閉店セールで店は値段を大幅に下げた。
The store lowered its prices drastically for the closing sale.
エアコンの温度を少し下げてもらえますか。
Could you lower the air conditioner's temperature a bit?
医師は血圧を下げる薬を処方した。
The doctor prescribed medicine to lower blood pressure.
彼は声を下げてこっそり話しかけてきた。
He lowered his voice and spoke to me quietly.
3To demote someone in rank, or to move something's position/order backward.
不祥事の責任を取り、彼は役職を下げられた。
He was demoted as a result of taking responsibility for the scandal.
危険を感じて、車を少し下げた。
Sensing danger, I backed the car up a little.
出発時刻を1時間下げてもらった。
I had the departure time pushed back by an hour.
4To clear dishes from a table, or to take down an offering from an altar.
食事が終わったので、店員がお皿を下げに来た。
Since we'd finished eating, the staff came to clear the plates.
法事の後、仏壇のお供え物を下げた。
After the memorial service, we took down the offerings from the family altar.
5In hanafuda (a card game): to keep playing even after already forming a scoring combination (specialized term).
出来役ができたが、もっと高い役を狙って下げることにした。
I had already formed a scoring hand, but decided to keep playing for a higher-value one.