View synonyms for

downer

[ dou-ner ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Informal.
1. a depressant or sedative drug, especially a barbiturate.
2. a depressing experience, person, or situation.
Animal Husbandry. an old or diseased animal, especially one that cannot stand up.

downer

/ ˈ�岹ʊ��ə /

noun

Also calleddown a barbiturate, tranquillizer, or narcotic Compare upper
a depressing experience
a state of depression
he's on a downer today

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Word History and Origins

Origin of downer¹

1910–15, Americanism, for an earlier sense; 1965–70, downer fordef 1; down ¹ + -er ¹

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The only downer with “Welcome Tour,” which is primarily designed to show off the console’s capabilities, is that it doesn’t come bundled with the Switch 2.

From

Like virtually all of the climate scientists I spoke with, he’s not trying to be a downer.

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How much of a downer would it be if he’s reduced to being a spectator when the Dodgers win the World Series?

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The one visual downer is the stage, which is no longer wood.

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Both stories end with a downer — Poppea and Nero get everything they want, and it turns out that even a catastrophic cosmic event that destroys most of Earth can't quite destroy racial segregation.

From

down-easter Downers Grove

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