down-at-the-heels
adjective
variants
or down-at-heel
or less commonly down-at-the-heel
or down-at-heels
: shabby
Synonyms
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
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
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.
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
Articles Related to down-at-the-heels
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 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share