1
2
: physically weakened or incapacitated
down-and-out noun
or down-and-outer

Examples of down-and-out in a Sentence

I'm over the flu, but I still feel down-and-out a soup kitchen where the down-and-out daily line up for a hot meal
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.
Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quickly realize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes off the rails. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025 Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quickly realize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes off the rails. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025 Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quicklyrealize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes offthe rails. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2025 He might be best known as the Minnesota-via-Brooklyn frontman of the Hold Steady, a punk bar-band wordsmith specializing in down-and-out tales with a Midwest flavor. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025 Black stars as the video game’s main character Steve and Momoa plays Garrett, a down-and-out 1980s video game champ stuck in the past. Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025 Ron Howard is proud of his kid brother Clint, who recently had a guest run on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful as down-and-out musician Tom Starr. Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025 The movie follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a down-and-out former revolutionary who is in desperate search for his missing daughter. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2025 The clan of oddballs and down-and-outs has more than a little in common with the Kim family in Parasite, including Song as a hapless patriarch. Stream on Max Mother (2009) The opening and closing scenes of Bong’s masterful 2009 film are, swear to God, among the greatest bookends in movie history. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of down-and-out was in 1894

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Cite this Entry

“Down-and-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/down-and-out. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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