1
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
I'm over the flu, but I still feel down-and-out
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
a soup kitchen where the down-and-out daily line up for a hot meal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or down-and-outer
as in have-not
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of down-and-out
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quickly
realize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes off
the rails.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quicklyrealize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes offthe rails.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2025
He might be best known as the Minnesota-via-Brooklyn frontman of the Hold Steady, a punk bar-band wordsmith specializing in down-and-out tales with a Midwest flavor.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
Black stars as the video game’s main character Steve and Momoa plays Garrett, a down-and-out 1980s video game champ stuck in the past.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Ron Howard is proud of his kid brother Clint, who recently had a guest run on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful as down-and-out musician Tom Starr.
—Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025
The movie follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a down-and-out former revolutionary who is in desperate search for his missing daughter.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2025
The clan of oddballs and down-and-outs has more than a little in common with the Kim family in Parasite, including Song as a hapless patriarch.
Stream on Max
Mother (2009)
The opening and closing scenes of Bong’s masterful 2009 film are, swear to God, among the greatest bookends in movie history.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quickly realize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes off the rails.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quickly
realize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes off
the rails.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quicklyrealize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes offthe rails.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2025
He might be best known as the Minnesota-via-Brooklyn frontman of the Hold Steady, a punk bar-band wordsmith specializing in down-and-out tales with a Midwest flavor.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
Black stars as the video game’s main character Steve and Momoa plays Garrett, a down-and-out 1980s video game champ stuck in the past.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Ron Howard is proud of his kid brother Clint, who recently had a guest run on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful as down-and-out musician Tom Starr.
—Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025
The movie follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a down-and-out former revolutionary who is in desperate search for his missing daughter.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2025
The clan of oddballs and down-and-outs has more than a little in common with the Kim family in Parasite, including Song as a hapless patriarch.
Stream on Max
Mother (2009)
The opening and closing scenes of Bong’s masterful 2009 film are, swear to God, among the greatest bookends in movie history.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-and-out
Adjective
-
And, in the long run, economists say that will translate to a weaker economy and a lower standard of living.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
-
Thanks to a weak front sliding across Central Florida, Thursday will be a bit cooler than prior days.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Eagerly drinking the Kool-Aid is Simone DeWitt (Alcock), a formerly impoverished but deeply ambitious upstart from Buffalo who gets a taste of the lifestyle of the rich and famous as Michaela's uppity assistant.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
-
His father, a Presbyterian minister, was the executive director of the New York City Mission Society, a social-services nonprofit for impoverished children.—
Dwight Garner,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
The conversation about baseball’s haves and have-nots bled into the offseason, as the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets tossed around hundreds of millions while nine teams declined to sign any player to a multiyear contract.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
-
Will there be haves, who can afford to pay for a robotaxi and have-nots who are left with the bus?—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
The product was released in 2023 to a poor reception, and discontinued before the company began winding down operations in February.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
24 May 2025
-
This tactic is sometimes used to justify letting an employee go under the guise of poor performance.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
While Shawna and John were meant to be having a romantic anniversary dinner, Barb showed up unannounced and undermined Jennifer’s already feeble attempts at following the evening routine laid out for the young children.—
Sara Belcher,
People.com,
9 May 2025
-
Rather than attempt a feeble defense of himself, Nick attacks June for the same willful ignorance her mother accused her of in Alaska.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
Alvarez is the pauper of the group, with Judge and Soto combining for $1.125 billion in salary over the lives of their contracts.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
-
Chelsea are hardly paupers domestically — no Premier League team is nowadays — but there’s a clear financial advantage in finishing higher up the table.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
There are numerous exemptions, such as pregnant women, caregivers, the medically frail, and others.—
Anthony Digiorgio,
Oc Register,
20 May 2025
-
Medicaid spends more than half its budget on medical and long-term care for frail, low-income older adults and younger people with disabilities, according to a KFF data note.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
Extra hooks allow the bag to transform into a trapezoidal hobo shape.—
Joelle Diderich,
WWD,
19 Sep. 2024
-
There’s a lot to love about Coach’s viral shoulder bag: the modern hobo style, the soft leather, the distinct shape.—
Lindy Segal,
Glamour,
13 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Down-and-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-and-out. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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