downer

American  

[dou-ner] / ˈdaʊ nər /

noun

1. Informal.

   1. a depressant or sedative drug, especially a barbiturate.

   2. a depressing experience, person, or situation.

2. Animal Husbandry. an old or diseased animal, especially one that cannot stand up.

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downer British  

/ ˈdaʊnə /

noun

1. Also called: down.  a barbiturate, tranquillizer, or narcotic Compare upper

2. a depressing experience

3. a state of depression

   he's on a downer today

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Etymology

Origin of downer

1910–15, for an earlier sense; 1965–70, downer for def. 1; down ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

But Riley stressed the film is not a downer portrayal of the struggle between social classes.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Sorry to be a downer, but the reality is December and January are typically the months when companies cut the most jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

Nothing's going to put a downer on it.”

From BBC • Aug. 1, 2024

Made in collaboration with Pallenberg’s son Marlon Richards, “Catching Fire” is a redemptive portrait that nevertheless plays like a downer.

From New York Times • May 2, 2024

For a man, having red hair or curly hair is a downer, as is “bald with a fringe”—but a shaved head is okay.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt