plural downers
1
: a depressant drug
especially
: barbiturate
… would often take the stage stoned on downers or high on acid … —
Peter Keough
Peter Keough Suppressant drugs, referred to as "downers", help create feelings of relaxation and tiredness rather than the high that people get from taking "uppers" … —Izzy Lyons
Izzy Lyons 2
: someone or something depressing, disagreeable, or unsatisfactory
Rain, biting insects, and soggy ground are other downers that keep me under cover.—Norman Strung
Norman StrungLosing in their conference tournaments was a major downer for the NC State and East Carolina baseball teams.—Brett Friedlander
Brett Friedlander3
: a weak, sick, or lame domesticated animal (such as a cow or pig) that is down and cannot get up
… the USDA last week instituted a series of measures to reassure consumers that American beef is safe, including a ban on the slaughter of cattle too sick or injured to walk, called downers, for human food.—Cathy Booth Thomas
—often used before another nounCathy Booth Thomasa downer cow
Examples of downer in a Sentence
I took some downers to help me sleep.
“His cat just died.” “Oh, that's a real downer.”
Our conversation about death was a bit of a downer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Uncertainty over the direction of Trump’s chaotic trade policy is another downer.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
The cold weather can be a real downer for your style.
—Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2025
Can’t win for losing Perhaps the biggest downer of all has been MLS teams’ inability to take advantage of Messi’s absence by at least earning a comprehensive victory, and potentially giving those who came to see Messi a reasson to return to see the local club.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Ben Dann / Can-Am / New Atlas The only real downer to the new Apache Backcountry track system is its price tag, which starts at US$5,549.
—New Atlas, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downer
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Anna Cooban, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
The cold weather can be a real downer for your style.
—Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2025
Can’t win for losing Perhaps the biggest downer of all has been MLS teams’ inability to take advantage of Messi’s absence by at least earning a comprehensive victory, and potentially giving those who came to see Messi a reasson to return to see the local club.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Ben Dann / Can-Am / New Atlas The only real downer to the new Apache Backcountry track system is its price tag, which starts at US$5,549.
—New Atlas, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downer
Cite this Entry
“Downer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downer. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
downer
noun
down·er
ˈdau̇n-ər 
1
: a depressant drug
especially
: barbiturate
2
: something that is depressing, disagreeable, or unsatisfactory
Medical Definition
downer
noun
down·er
ˈdau̇-nər
: a depressant drug
especially
: barbiturate
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