downer

noun

down·​er ˈdau̇-nər 

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

Synonyms of downer

• accident
• bore
• down
• bummer

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

Put simply, the Stargate model may be great for them, but a downer for everyday and corporate customers by doing what cartels always do—boost prices, quash choice, and hamper innovation. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2025

There’s no doubt very talented people work on Call of Duty and are often allowed to put out a banger amidst all the corporate chaos and unhealthy deadlines, yet 2025’s Black Ops 7 feels like a downer and a sign of the franchise crumbling under its own weight once again. —Fran J. Ruiz, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025

Uncertainty over an interest rate cut in December is also putting a downer on Wall Street. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 14 Nov. 2025

Losing is a downer, of course, but this Chicago team tied for the second-best start to a season in franchise history. —Josh Robbins, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for downer

• browner
• towner

Kids Definition

downer

noun

down·​er ˈdau̇n-ər 

1

: a depressant drug

especially : barbiturate

2

: something that is depressing, disagreeable, or unsatisfactory

Medical Definition

downer

noun

down·​er ˈdau̇-nər 

: a depressant drug

especially : barbiturate