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

That downer of a season led to a national search for a new coach, leading to Bibby, the former Sacramento Kings guard. —Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2025

But after his detour into downer classics like Tonight’s the Night, Young was ready to throw those folks some red meat. —Chris Stanton, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2025

The film, in its trivial way, exudes a dyspeptic downer vibe, the result of everyone in it being so testy and unpleasant. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025

And while all that sounds like a downer, the researchers found Gen Z to be rather optimistic. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for downer

• browner
• towner

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