downer

noun

down·​er ˈdau̇-nər 

plural downers

1

: a depressant drug

especially : barbiturate

… would often take the stage stoned on downers or high on acid …

—Peter Keough

Suppressant drugs, referred to as "downers", help create feelings of relaxation and tiredness rather than the high that people get from taking "uppers" …

—Izzy Lyons

2

: someone or something depressing, disagreeable, or unsatisfactory

Rain, biting insects, and soggy ground are other downers that keep me under cover.

—Norman Strung

Losing in their conference tournaments was a major downer for the NC State and East Carolina baseball teams.

—Brett Friedlander

3

: a weak, sick, or lame domesticated animal (such as a cow or pig) that is down and cannot get up

… the USDA last week instituted a series of measures to reassure consumers that American beef is safe, including a ban on the slaughter of cattle too sick or injured to walk, called downers, for human food.

—Cathy Booth Thomas

—often used before another noun

a downer cow

Synonyms

• bummer
• down

Examples of downer in a Sentence

I took some downers to help me sleep.

“His cat just died.” “Oh, that's a real downer.”

Our conversation about death was a bit of a downer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Juror #2, Eastwood’s latest drama (and, given his age, possibly his last), seems for a while to be building toward a characteristically bleak punctuation, yet another classic Clint downer of a dénouement. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025

The price tag was a downer but $200 off today helps a lot! —Gabriela Vatu, PCMAG, 8 Jan. 2025

Taxes are a major downer, lopsidedly favoring those at the top. —Gerald Scorse, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2025

One common misconception is that mixing uppers and downers, like MDMA and ketamine, will balance each other out. —Celia Ford, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

downer

noun

down·​er ˈdau̇n-ər 

1

: a depressant drug

especially : barbiturate

2

: something that is depressing, disagreeable, or unsatisfactory

Medical Definition

downer

noun

down·​er ˈdau̇-nər 

: a depressant drug

especially : barbiturate