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 nouna downer cow
Cite this Entry
“Downer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downer. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.
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