downer

noun

down·​er ˈdau̇-nər How to pronounce downer (audio)
plural downers
1
: a depressant drug
especially : barbiturate
… would often take the stage stoned on downers or high on acid … Peter Keough
Suppressant drugs, referred to as "downers", help create feelings of relaxation and tiredness rather than the high that people get from taking "uppers" … Izzy Lyons
2
: someone or something depressing, disagreeable, or unsatisfactory
Rain, biting insects, and soggy ground are other downers that keep me under cover.Norman Strung
Losing in their conference tournaments was a major downer for the NC State and East Carolina baseball teams.Brett Friedlander
3
: a weak, sick, or lame domesticated animal (such as a cow or pig) that is down and cannot get up
… the USDA last week instituted a series of measures to reassure consumers that American beef is safe, including a ban on the slaughter of cattle too sick or injured to walk, called downers, for human food.Cathy Booth Thomas
often used before another noun
a downer cow

Examples of downer in a Sentence

I took some downers to help me sleep. “His cat just died.” “Oh, that's a real downer.” Our conversation about death was a bit of a downer.
Recent Examples on the Web So not to be a downer, but some of the economic forecasts for the near future aren't looking so great. Robert Goulder, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 This crowd wasn’t going to let this night be a downer. Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 27 Jan. 2024 There's also that twist and the downer of an ending that chases it; decades later, the franchise is still trying to recapture that magic. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 9 Nov. 2023 Musically, the album isn’t the musical downer the subject matter may suggest. Alan Sculley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2024 One downer, though, it got slapped with a C- CinemaScore. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2024 The second downer: softening sales going into the fall. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2023 To replicate that approach, however truthful, would be a big downer — and, for a commercial show, a fool’s errand. Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Dec. 2023 But now, new research has added a wrinkle to the popular view of inflation as nothing but a downer. Will Daniel, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'downer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of downer was in 1886

Dictionary Entries Near downer

Cite this Entry

“Downer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downer. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

downer

noun
down·​er ˈdau̇n-ər How to pronounce downer (audio)
1
: a depressant drug
especially : barbiturate
2
: something that is depressing, disagreeable, or unsatisfactory

Medical Definition

downer

noun
down·​er ˈdau̇-nər How to pronounce downer (audio)
: a depressant drug
especially : barbiturate
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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