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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Hunter had known his biological father his whole life as a family friend; sometimes this man dropped off hand-me-downs that his sons—Hunter’s half brothers—had outgrown.
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
That’s a sign that the hand-me-down nature of music – where the sound of one generation is incorporated and reinterpreted by the next – is alive and well.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 16 July 2025
So go check the attic for any old hand-me-down guitars.
—Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Noun
Her friend is pregnant with her second child, and had planned to dress the baby in hand-me-downs from her first baby.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Hunter had known his biological father his whole life as a family friend; sometimes this man dropped off hand-me-downs that his sons—Hunter’s half brothers—had outgrown.
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
That’s a sign that the hand-me-down nature of music – where the sound of one generation is incorporated and reinterpreted by the next – is alive and well.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 16 July 2025
So go check the attic for any old hand-me-down guitars.
—Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-me-down
Adjective
-
Kerstin Block, best known as the founder of the iconic secondhand store Buffalo Exchange, has died.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Upholstered Furniture Unlike damage furniture, buying secondhand upholstered pieces isn't as frowned upon, but Morse recommends looking over each piece with a careful eye to determine if this item will be a good investment.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This could be a throwaway stat, but there is plenty of tape showcasing Williams either underthrowing or overthrowing his skilled Bears receivers.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
-
At the same time, the glut of ultra-fast fashion, driven by throwaway culture, is overwhelming waste management capacity.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The show tests a group of castaways as they are stranded on the islands of Fiji.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Previous castaways that will play (again) in the 50th season have been announced via CBS's Instagram.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The speakers sounded slightly more optimistic about educating recyclers to recognize and refuse problematic copper than lobbying legislators to enact laws requiring more accountability of scrap-metal transactions.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The tent is made of scraps of wood joined together.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-me-down. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share