Downer
'daʊnər
Definitions
2 meaningsSomething or someone that depresses or discourages.
'daʊnər
Something that causes feelings of sadness or disappointment.
Losing the game was a downer.
💡 Simply: A downer is like a bad movie or a piece of news that makes you feel sad or bummed out. Imagine hearing that your favorite ice cream is sold out – that would be a downer!
👶 For kids: A downer is something that makes you sad or unhappy.
More Examples
The rainy weather was a downer for the outdoor concert.
How It's Used
"The news about the job cuts was a real downer."
"That movie was a downer; I left feeling depressed."
A drug that depresses the central nervous system.
'daʊnər
A depressant drug.
Doctors sometimes prescribe downers for anxiety.
💡 Simply: Downers are like medicine that helps you relax or sleep. But some can become addictive or dangerous when used in excess.
👶 For kids: Downers are special medicines that can make you feel sleepy or calm.
More Examples
Abuse of downers can have serious health consequences.
How It's Used
"He was taking downers to help him sleep, but became addicted."
"The club was full of people on downers, just chilling."
Idioms & expressions
a real downer
A truly depressing or discouraging thing.
"The bad weather was a real downer for the picnic."
to be down on someone
To disapprove of someone or something.
"She's always been down on her brother's choices."
From 'down' + '-er', denoting something that makes one feel down or depressed. The term emerged in the mid-20th century, particularly in reference to depressant drugs.
The term gained popularity in the mid-20th century, especially in counterculture and slang usage to describe something that is depressing or something that causes depression.
Memory tip
Think of a 'downer' as a pill that makes you feel 'down'.