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
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Tweets featuring antisemitic dog whistles are also blasted onto an enormous dashboard — hand-me-down technology formerly used by the Patriots during team practice to run plays. Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2026 The bone-chilling video looks like it's being shot in an actual environment, but Parsons created it with his hand-me-down laptop using Blender, a free graphics software. Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 27 May 2026 It was filled with hand-me-downs from family and friends, plus a mix of cheap, cheerful pieces that got the job done. Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 12 May 2026 Retail or hand-me-down, these unwanted gifts take up not just physical but emotional space as well. Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 8 May 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

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Cite this Entry

“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-me-down. Accessed 1 Jul. 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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