down-at-the-heels

[ doun-uht-thuh-heelz ]

adjective

1. having a shabby, run-down appearance; seedy:

   He is rapidly becoming a down-at-the-heels drifter and a drunk.

Word History and Origins

Origin of down-at-the-heels¹

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

"Down-at-the-heels gentility gone into trade," smiled Marcia.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr. Howells has aptly described Hannibal as a "loafing, out-at-elbows, down-at-the-heels, slaveholding Mississippi river town."

From Project Gutenberg