- Also called: down a barbiturate, tranquillizer, or narcotic
Compare upper - a depressing experience
- a state of depression: he's on a downer today
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
down•er /ˈdaʊnɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable][Informal.]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a depressing experience or person:That loss was a real downer for the team.
- Informal Terms, Drugsa drug that makes people sleepy or less excited;
a depressant.
down•er
(dou′nər),USA pronunciation n.
- Drugs, Informal Terms[Informal.]
- a depressant or sedative drug, esp. a barbiturate.
- a depressing experience, person, or situation.
- Animal Husbandryan old or diseased animal, esp. one that cannot stand up.
- 1910–15, American., for an earlier sense; 1965–70, for def. 1; down1 + -er1
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
downer /ˈdaʊnə/ n slang
'downer' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):