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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Dissimilar Words

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

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 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 See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-me-down

Adjective

Millennials are actually the top-spending generation on secondhand fashion.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Vintage children’s books are one of the easiest ways to start a secondhand nursery collection.

— Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of secondhand

Noun

While the tone may often feel blithely throwaway, the filmmaking is never careless.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
This would involve working on his old cars, but also—as if a throwaway thought—winning a prestigious dressage show and then giving media interviews afterward.

— Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of throwaway

Noun

Titcomb said that flexibility could allow garment factories to send polyester-elastane cutting scraps together rather than segregating each composition as production lines change.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Perhaps that’s why the show at Scully’s feels so major; by incorporating scraps of New York into the work, Prieto is finally metabolizing a piece of the city.

— Jill Singer, Curbed, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of scrap

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 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hand-me-down

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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