sundowner

American  

[suhn-dau-ner] / ˈsʌnˌdaʊ nər /

noun

1. Chiefly British. an alcoholic drink taken after completing the day's work, usually at sundown.

2. Australian. a tramp or hobo, especially one who arrives at a homestead near sundown in order to avoid having to work in exchange for shelter.

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sundowner British  

/ ˈsʌnˌdaʊnə /

noun

1. obsolete a tramp, esp one who seeks food and lodging at sundown when it is too late to work

2. nautical a strict ship's officer

3. informal an alcoholic drink taken at sunset

4. slang a lazy sheepdog

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Etymology

Origin of sundowner

First recorded in 1870–75; sundown + -er ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sundowner

Southern Santa Barbara County is also expected to see dry, gusty sundowner winds in the evenings through Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Forecasters warned of weak-to-moderate sundowner winds across southwestern Santa Barbara County in the late afternoon and evenings from Tuesday through Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Already this week, wind advisories were issued in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, where sundowner winds delivered gusts of 50 mph overnight Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2023

It was the so-called "sundowner" moment, when people sit and have a drink at the end of the day, watching the sky turn orange and red as the sun disappears over the horizon.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2022

An old sundowner, chancing to pass along the road, stopped in the hopes of a yarn.

From Colonial Born A tale of the Queensland bush by Percy F. S. (Percy Frederick Seaton) Spence

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