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
Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Within the entertainment industry even our job titles are non-descriptive hand-me-downs from a bygone era and more often than not are negotiation points and not unilaterally indicative of any one role.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Founded by Pip Durell, who grew up wearing hand-me-down cricket jumpers and rugby shirts, WNU has crafted this timeless collection to celebrate both the preppy style and sporting tradition that has become a quintessential part of London’s spring fashion landscape.
—Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Patched pockets and hand-me-downs were a way of stretching the life of a garment.
—Kinsey Gidick, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Noun
And Ming has a lot more hand-me-downs to look forward to.
—Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Within the entertainment industry even our job titles are non-descriptive hand-me-downs from a bygone era and more often than not are negotiation points and not unilaterally indicative of any one role.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Founded by Pip Durell, who grew up wearing hand-me-down cricket jumpers and rugby shirts, WNU has crafted this timeless collection to celebrate both the preppy style and sporting tradition that has become a quintessential part of London’s spring fashion landscape.
—Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Patched pockets and hand-me-downs were a way of stretching the life of a garment.
—Kinsey Gidick, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-me-down
Adjective
-
Hunter said resale is an exciting space for e-commerce, particularly as more and more brands take on a secondhand presence of their own.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
23 June 2025
-
Using a phone to check your email or calendar are secondhand actions for workers, done without any stigma.—
John Schneider,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
The backbone of the current system is committed community and green groups, a small but growing suite or repair shops and customers who feel uncomfortable with the throwaway society.—
Nick Nuttall,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
-
An archive of throwaways gets new life when presented as a natural history composed of cultural artifacts.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
But compared to Paul’s clash with Mike Perry and Nate Diaz, this scrap with Chavez Jr. doesn’t seem to be moving the needle as much.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
-
Use food scraps to make broth, then compost the leftovers to make fertilizer.—
Andrea Beck,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-me-down. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share