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
By the time Reyes and the other coaches enter the shelter just before 9 each morning, the children, most between the ages of 5 and 13, already are lined up at the door to the play space, many wearing hand-me-down cotton sweatshirts and wool caps against the morning chill.
—
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The album is full of moments like this, where the lyrical conventions of a hand-me-down genre are enlivened with genuinely personal urgency.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
If your jaw is clenched every time a child is in proximity to your cherished hand-me-down, perhaps employ a protective barrier, or place it somewhere less trafficked.
—Caitlin Gibson, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Yes, they were banned years ago, but some are still around, including as hand-me-downs.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024
The sweater was a hand-me-down from her mother, and the hat once belonged to her son.
—Daisuke Wakabayashi, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024
That history helps to explain the ongoing tension between China and Taiwan, though the director questions the hand-me-down wisdom on the subject: He’s spent time in China and seems fascinated by the culture thriving there now.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
Kate Hudson knows the importance of a good hand-me-down.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024
His voice is as deep as a canyon, tough as tree bark and weathered like a hand-me-down saddle.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 27 Jan. 2024
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The album is full of moments like this, where the lyrical conventions of a hand-me-down genre are enlivened with genuinely personal urgency.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
If your jaw is clenched every time a child is in proximity to your cherished hand-me-down, perhaps employ a protective barrier, or place it somewhere less trafficked.
—Caitlin Gibson, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Yes, they were banned years ago, but some are still around, including as hand-me-downs.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024
The sweater was a hand-me-down from her mother, and the hat once belonged to her son.
—Daisuke Wakabayashi, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024
That history helps to explain the ongoing tension between China and Taiwan, though the director questions the hand-me-down wisdom on the subject: He’s spent time in China and seems fascinated by the culture thriving there now.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
Kate Hudson knows the importance of a good hand-me-down.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024
His voice is as deep as a canyon, tough as tree bark and weathered like a hand-me-down saddle.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 27 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hand-me-down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 24 Apr. 2024.
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