as in accident
something (as a situation or event) that is depressing
that story of drug addiction was a real downer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of downer
The only downer came a bit later when Blue Origin's Ariane Cornell confirmed that the first stage did not successfully return to a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
—
Ars Technica, 17 Jan. 2025
And while all that sounds like a downer, the researchers found Gen Z to be rather optimistic.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 11 Mar. 2025
That downer of a season led to a national search for a new coach, leading to Bibby, the former Sacramento Kings guard.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2025
But after his detour into downer classics like Tonight’s the Night, Young was ready to throw those folks some red meat.
—Chris Stanton, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downer
Ars Technica, 17 Jan. 2025
And while all that sounds like a downer, the researchers found Gen Z to be rather optimistic.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 11 Mar. 2025
That downer of a season led to a national search for a new coach, leading to Bibby, the former Sacramento Kings guard.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2025
But after his detour into downer classics like Tonight’s the Night, Young was ready to throw those folks some red meat.
—Chris Stanton, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downer
Noun
-
The Climate Superfund Act is modeled after the federal Superfund law that requires companies to pay for the cleanup of contamination caused by their activities, such as hazardous waste disposal or accidents and spills.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2025
-
America did not become a global scientific leader by accident.—
Dr. Mark Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Just the sheer, cavernous size of each cylinder – at 38 inches (97 cm) of bore by 98 inches (249 cm) of stroke ...—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
22 June 2025
-
The only problem was that Purdey had never made a hammer ejector gun in 28 gauge, or any hammer gun in .410 bore in their more than 200-year history.—
Chris Dorsey,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Girls centered around four women living in New York City during their 20s, charting the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives.—
Carson Blackwelder,
People.com,
7 July 2025
-
Trump has previously threatened to cut federal contracts and subsidies to Musk’s various businesses, which include SpaceX and Tesla (Tesla’s stock often tracks the ups and downs of Musk’s political fortunes), and has even mused about potentially having Musk deported.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
For nostalgia reasons, that's a bummer, but my kids have grown up hopping around the stepping stones in my garden and looking for geckos among the rocks and that's cool, too.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
-
The 45% Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color coverage is a real bummer for anyone who wants vibrant color for everything from movie watching to photo editing.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downer. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share