Poor English. like - use with nouns, adjectives. as if - use with verbs, clauses . "You seem as if you are down in a trough." . A "trough" is a depression, a low. Terrain, in numbers, figures, weather atmospheric pressure. Can be used litterally, figuratively. . Also a low, container, without a top, used for feeding animals, among other things. . Depends on your context, but as a question here, most likely figuratively, meaning a moitavtion low. . Seems you are down in a trough. Maybe get out more? Go see a movie with friends. "down in" sort of suggests this. . Your weather there is terrible at the moment. Seems you are in a pressure trough, behind that cold front moving across the country. . I can't see you above the heather, are you standing down in a trough of some sort? Are you down some small valley, or something? . Put the carrots in the trough for the animals.