down-low

Or down·low

[doun-loh]

adjective

1. of or pertaining to men who secretly or discreetly have sex with other men.

   She once dated a down-low guy.

2. secret; discreet; low-profile.

Word History and Origins

Origin of down-low¹

First recorded in 1990-95; down ¹ ( def. ) + low ¹ ( def. )

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the down-low,

   1. (of a man) secretly or discreetly engaging in sex with other men.

   2. done secretly or in a discreet manner.

      Okay I'll tell you, but keep it on the down-low.

Example Sentences

The other reason, of course, is that the leadership and donor class of his own political party — which relies on left-liberal voters, but wants to keep that relationship on the down-low — is trying to destroy him.

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Of all the dirty, rotten, down-low things Netflix has done, providing a gaping pit of gold coins for Adam Sandler to cannonball into like Scrooge McDuck might be the worst so far.

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While the audition came to her as a role in an “untitled Disney+ project,” she’d heard on the down-low that it was for a “Star Wars” project.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Club 33 stays on the down-low with discreet rules and even a dress code.

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The Compton rapper is referring to the longtime, down-low allegations of Drake's relationship with underage girls.

Read more on Salon

When To Use

What else does down-low mean?

Content warning: the following content includes references to sexual activity.Something on the down-low is secret or private.Down-low can also specifically refer to Black men who secretly have sex.