1
: put in use by one person or group after being used, discarded, or handed down by another
hand-me-down clothes
hand-me-down anecdotes
2
: ready-made and usually cheap and shoddy
hand-me-down noun

Examples of hand-me-down in a Sentence

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.
Unfortunately, using a hand-me-down vacuum without a HEPA filter will make matters worse. Lisa Wood Shapiro, WIRED, 7 Dec. 2024 Her uniforms were hand-me-downs from his older daughter. J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 7 Dec. 2024 Her queen-size bed is a hand-me-down from a friend. Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024 Recently, my friend told me that her best friend was offended that she wasn’t given these hand-me-downs instead of me. Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hand-me-down 

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hand-me-down was in 1826

Dictionary Entries Near hand-me-down

Cite this Entry

“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-me-down. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

hand-me-down

adjective
ˈhan(d)-mē-ˌdau̇n
: put in use by one person or group after being used, discarded, or handed down by another
hand-me-down noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hand-me-down

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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