Synonyms

down for the count

Idioms

Defeated, finished, doomed, as in I doubt if he'll ever leave the hospital; his illness really has him down for the count. This expression alludes to the losing boxer, unable to get to his feet before the umpire has counted to ten (the count). [1920s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He continued: "I don't think we need any action. Looks like it's going down. It's going down for the count."

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

He connected with a combination in the eighth round, Foreman went down for the count, and Ali was, once again, the heavyweight champion.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025

It turned out he wasn’t quite down for the count.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 24, 2023

Lest you think I’m being paranoid about one of them missing the vote because they are out sick, consider that several senators are currently down for the count.

From Slate • Jul. 28, 2022

She stumbled, and he snaked an arm around her back to make sure she didn’t go down for the count.

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023