downer
noun
down·er
| \ ËdauÌ-nÉr
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Definition of downer
1
: a weak, sick, or crippled animal in shipment that is down and cannot get up
—often used attributively a downer cow
3
: someone or something depressing, disagreeable, or unsatisfactory
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Examples of downer in a Sentence
I took some downers to help me sleep.
âHis cat just died.â âOh, that's a real downer.â
Our conversation about death was a bit of a downer.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Getafe, Real Betis, Real Sociedad Common consensus is that Getafe will struggle to balance La Liga with European football this season and may even be on a downer after cruelly missing out on Champions League football to Valencia. — SI.com, "La Liga Season Preview 2019/20: Title Contenders, European Hopefuls, Promoted Sides & More," 14 Aug. 2019 To which Alverson and co-writers Dustin Guy Defa and Colm OâLeary have responded with a mid 20th century-set downer centered on a traveling lobotomist, based on a real figure at the time. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Jeff Goldblum and Tye Sheridan mine gloomy nostalgic Americana in âThe Mountainâ," 24 July 2019 But Parker is effectively unfussy with the weird downer experiences â a breakup, for instance, and the narratorâs fatherâs bizarre end-of-life sequence involving clinical trials. — Nelson Pressley, Washington Post, "âWeâre Gonna Dieâ makes you feel okay about it," 4 June 2019 If the number is a downer again, recession deniers like Mr. Trump will have a harder and harder time holding their ground. — Stephen Gandel, CBS News, "Fading corporate profits heighten U.S. recession fears," 22 Aug. 2019 Donât be such a downer. Instead, letâs remind ourselves what Gov. Big Boy and Boss Madigan have accomplished in the past few days. — John Kass, chicagotribune.com, "After Gov. Pritzker, Boss Madigan budget, letâs change state slogan: Illinois-Shut Up and Take It.," 7 June 2019 Reviews called out the film for being a lifeless downer and its audience scores were even worse. — James Hibberd, EW.com, "The 17 biggest summer box office winners and losers of 2019," 14 Aug. 2019 On a downer note: the Fortune 500 differs slightly from the S&P 500, and there are still a handful of companies on our list with zero women in board seats. — Fortune, "The Disturbing World of Deepfakes: The Broadsheet," 25 July 2019 Dumb-downers, finger-waggers, and campground counselors rule the roost. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, "Dijonâs Masterpiece of a Museum, Brilliantly Renovated," 20 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'downer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for downer
downer
noun
English Language Learners Definition of downer
informal
: a drug that makes the body relax
: something that is unpleasant or depressing
See the full definition for downer in the English Language Learners Dictionary
downer
noun
down·er
| \ ËdauÌ-nÉr
\
\
Medical Definition of downer
: a depressant drug
especially
: barbiturate