variants or down-at-heel or less commonly down-at-the-heel or down-at-heels
: shabby

Examples of down-at-the-heels in a Sentence

the stately mansion where he lives now is a far cry from the down-at-the-heels triple-decker in which he grew up
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 21 June 2024 Born 200 years ago in Wales to intellectually curious but down-at-the-heels parents, Wallace was forced to leave school at age 14. Jennie Erin Smith, wsj.com, 14 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of down-at-the-heels was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near down-at-the-heels

Cite this Entry

“Down-at-the-heels.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/down-at-the-heels. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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