HAND-ME-DOWN Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

hand-me-down 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of hand-me-down

as in secondhand

owned or used by someone after it had been owned or used by someone else

—used especially of clothing He was wearing an old, hand-me-down jacket.

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hand-me-down

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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 hand-me-down

Adjective

Retail or hand-me-down, these unwanted gifts take up not just physical but emotional space as well. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 8 May 2026 These are hand-me-down stories, delivered in a familiar fashion, distinguished by an expert sense of craft. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026 Young musicians get their first guitar lots of different ways — as a hand-me-down, a birthday present or with cash earned from mowing grass. — Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026 And how many work tasks are done in workplaces every day to satisfy hand-me-down key results and not for the betterment of either employees or customers? — Big Think, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-me-down

Adjective

But the designer version is difficult to find, even secondhand, and costs a hefty $1,090.

— Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026
The tool comes at a time when secondhand retail and thrift are seeing a surge, especially with the macroeconomic backdrop of higher inflation, lower consumer confidence and more price-conscious buyers.

— Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of secondhand

Noun

But the movie doesn’t require much of anyone in the ensemble; comedians like Chloe Fineman, Chris Parnell and Fortune Feimster are wasted in throwaway roles.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
Normalizing violence should, in itself, be a red line, and its resumption or threat not reduced to a throwaway remark.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

Definition of throwaway

Noun

Gilligan’s Island, American television sitcom about a group of castaways on a desert island and the chaos that ensues as their attempts at rescue are constantly thwarted.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026
Supporters of the theory believe that Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan became stranded on the remote island after failing to reach Howland Island — possibly dying as castaways.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of castaway

Browse Nearby Words

handmaidens

hand-me-down

hand-me-downs

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Style

“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-me-down. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of hand-me-down

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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