hand-me-down
adjective
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
And Ming has a lot more hand-me-downs to look forward to.
—
Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Within the entertainment industry even our job titles are non-descriptive hand-me-downs from a bygone era and more often than not are negotiation points and not unilaterally indicative of any one role.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Founded by Pip Durell, who grew up wearing hand-me-down cricket jumpers and rugby shirts, WNU has crafted this timeless collection to celebrate both the preppy style and sporting tradition that has become a quintessential part of London’s spring fashion landscape.
—Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Patched pockets and hand-me-downs were a way of stretching the life of a garment.
—Kinsey Gidick, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
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.
Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Within the entertainment industry even our job titles are non-descriptive hand-me-downs from a bygone era and more often than not are negotiation points and not unilaterally indicative of any one role.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Founded by Pip Durell, who grew up wearing hand-me-down cricket jumpers and rugby shirts, WNU has crafted this timeless collection to celebrate both the preppy style and sporting tradition that has become a quintessential part of London’s spring fashion landscape.
—Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Patched pockets and hand-me-downs were a way of stretching the life of a garment.
—Kinsey Gidick, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Cite this Entry
“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-me-down. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share