downscale
Americanadjective
-
located at, moving toward, or of or for the middle or lower end of a social or economic scale.
The discount store caters mainly to downscale customers.
-
plain, practical, or inexpensive; not luxurious.
downscale clothing.
adjective
verb
Etymology
Origin of downscale
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.
The Atlantic describes the Brightline train as a luxurious ride for high rollers but paints a downscale cast to those who are run over by it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
“We had to actually downscale to shooting on a Blackmagic, just a little tiny camera, because we didn’t have money for so many years to keep it going.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2025
WHO officials will now assess all the evidence on the pace of spread of the disease before deciding whether to downscale the global alert level.
From BBC • Nov. 22, 2024
Midjourney, the one Jason Allen used, has a feature that allows you to upscale and downscale images.
From Slate • Sep. 12, 2022
He must maintain appearances in keeping with his associations—or drop downscale to meaner opportunities and paltrier prizes.
From The Law of Hemlock Mountain by Lundsford, Hugh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
