as in sad
feeling unhappiness
after a disastrous date like that, anyone would be down in the mouth
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Recent Examples of down in the mouth
The movie feels more than a little down in the mouth, even with its string of cliffhangers, some visually impressive, tied together with some ill-fitting comic relief.
—
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Many of our emotion terms are references to states of the body—we’re downcast, bent out of shape, head over heels, shaken up, down in the mouth—which have slowly rigidified into dead metaphor.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Many of our emotion terms are references to states of the body—we’re downcast, bent out of shape, head over heels, shaken up, down in the mouth—which have slowly rigidified into dead metaphor.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down in the mouth
Adjective
-
In a weirdly serendipitous bit of cinema news, Billie Eilish—queen of melancholy pop—is turning her sad eyes to Sylvia Plath.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Resident reactions Some residents are sad to see the cemetery go.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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MacFarlane is also said to have faced personal threats from MAGA supporters unhappy with his coverage of the Justice Department.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Earlier this season, Marchment struggled mightily — and seemed plenty unhappy — with the Seattle Kraken, but his trade to the Blue Jackets in late December revitalized his season.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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El Teniente's general manager, Claudio Sougarret, recently said production will be depressed for the next five years as a result of the accident.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
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Minnelli writes that Garland would remain in bed for days, depressed and heavily drugged.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Also up for sale is a 13-page affidavit filed by Paul McCartney in December 1970 to break up The Beatles, leaving fans heartbroken.—
Adam Reiss,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
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An 83-year-old Air Force veteran pushed onto the subway tracks by a stranger at an Upper East Side station in a random act of violence is unlikely to survive, his heartbroken daughter told the Daily News Tuesday.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Alex Caruso relishes making Jokic miserable.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 Mar. 2026
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Weegar has had a tough season, with his impact in basically every situation falling off during what’s been a miserable year all around in Calgary.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Knicks were held to less than 100 points for only the seventh time and had their fourth-worst three-point shooting performance of the season, going eight for 34.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The Pacers have the second-worst record in the NBA, 1 ½ games better than Sacramento.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
We were told that Operation Epstein Fury — sorry, Epic Fury — was needed to bring democracy to Iran and prevent an attack on us.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
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The judge reminded the courtroom that in the previous trial, Cox made a last-minute motion to self-represent to be able to tell the jury that Cox was sorry.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Frogs made enough big shots in the final minutes to prevent another upset.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Mar. 2026
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However, other kids of the same age range might be more upset by the violence and harsh realities of nature—especially the ruthless and brutal of hierarchy of nature during the dinosaur years.—
Alex Shoemaker,
Parents,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Down in the mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down%20in%20the%20mouth. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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