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• down-and-out
  down-and-out

  adjective

  without any money, or means of support, or prospects; destitute; penniless.
• down and out
  down and out

  Lacking funds or prospects; destitute, penniless. For example, After losing his job, car, and home, he was completely down and out. This term probably originated in boxing, where it alludes to the fighter who is knocked down and stays down for a given time, thereby losing the bout. [c. 1900] Also see down for the count.

down-and-out

American  

[daun-uhnd-aut, -uhn] / ˈdaʊn əndˈaʊt, -ən /

adjective

1. without any money, or means of support, or prospects; destitute; penniless.

2. without physical strength or stamina; disabled; incapacitated.

3. too physically weakened by repeated defeats to qualify as a competent professional boxer.

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noun

1. Also down-and-outer. a person who is down-and-out.

down-and-out British  

adjective

1. without any means of livelihood; impoverished and, often, socially outcast

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noun

1. a person who is destitute and, often, homeless; a social outcast or derelict

down and out Idioms  

1. Lacking funds or prospects; destitute, penniless. For example, After losing his job, car, and home, he was completely down and out. This term probably originated in boxing, where it alludes to the fighter who is knocked down and stays down for a given time, thereby losing the bout. [c. 1900] Also see down for the count.

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Etymology

Origin of down-and-out

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

down-and-out down and out

And who better to teach a down-and-out lawyer about courage and gumption than a coyote who has persevered in the face of certain failure?

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

A humble, determined man, his remarkable rise is rooted in his resilience and the belief of a select few people who saw something in a down-and-out kid searching for his big break.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

As the most dismal, down-and-out franchise of the past half-century aimed to clinch the NBA Finals, the Knicks flirted with disaster yet again and fell behind by 15 points in the second half.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

The former, which Miller once considered calling “The Inside of His Head,” is fluidly constructed, playing fast and loose with time as it tracks the disintegrating mental life of down-and-out salesman Willy Loman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026

Mr. Pickwell had brought home a down-and-out shoe salesman in sore need of sympathy and a good meal.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

People say it is down and out, but it was packed.

From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026

Dallas were down and out at 21-0 down against the reigning Super Bowl champions, so how on earth did they produce their joint-best comeback ever?

From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2025

"There were times when people thought we were down and out but we never did," Toone told BBC Sport while eating a slice of celebratory pizza.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2025

We don’t know much about him except that he’s only interested in keeping his head down and out of trouble.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2025

Never down and out, but several times on the verge of it.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

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