Synonyms of hand-me-downnext
1
: put in use by one person or group after being used, discarded, or handed down by another
hand-me-down clothes
hand-me-down anecdotes
2
: ready-made and usually cheap and shoddy
hand-me-down noun

Examples of hand-me-down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Retail or hand-me-down, these unwanted gifts take up not just physical but emotional space as well. Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 8 May 2026 These are hand-me-down stories, delivered in a familiar fashion, distinguished by an expert sense of craft. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026 And how many work tasks are done in workplaces every day to satisfy hand-me-down key results and not for the betterment of either employees or customers? Big Think, 20 Feb. 2026 And of course, jackets and pants are where hand-me-downs are perfectly fine. Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hand-me-down was in 1826

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-me-down. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

hand-me-down

adjective
ˈhan(d)-mē-ˌdau̇n
: put in use by one person or group after being used, discarded, or handed down by another
hand-me-down noun

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