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

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

Singer Emmy aims for a hopeful spin on a tragic story but, despite a peppy performance, it's a bit of a downer.

From BBC

The ending’s a downer, all right, but you might just smile too.

From Los Angeles Times

The only downer with “Welcome Tour,” which is primarily designed to show off the console’s capabilities, is that it doesn’t come bundled with the Switch 2.

From Los Angeles Times

Like virtually all of the climate scientists I spoke with, he’s not trying to be a downer.

From Los Angeles Times