downers
downers
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "downers" is /ˈdaʊnərz/.
dow /daʊ/: This syllable contains the diphthong /aʊ/, which is the sound in "how."
ners /nərz/: This syllable contains the "n" sound, followed by the schwa sound /ə/ (the unstressed vowel sound in "the"), and then the "r" sound and the "z" sound.
Word Form Variations
downer (singular noun)
downers (plural noun)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A person, event, or thing that causes feelings of sadness, depression, or discouragement.
Synonyms: bummer, disappointment, letdown, drag
Antonyms: upper, delight, joy, highlight
A type of drug, such as a tranquilizer or sedative, that depresses the central nervous system and is used to calm or sedate a person.
Synonyms: sedative, tranquilizer, depressant, hypnotic
Antonyms: stimulant, upper, amphetamine, pep pil
Examples of Use
Books
"Yes, but..." His voice trailed off, and the silence that followed this time felt darker, lonelier. Crik is a downer and lives in the dark city of Ungstah. (Scott Keen, Scar of the Downers, July 2022)
Newspapers and Online Publications
The article "Uppers, downers, and all arounders" discusses the different physiological effects of various drugs, with "downers" referring to depressants that slow down the central nervous system (University of Tampa Library, 2014).
A headline in a medical journal reads "Benzodiazepines I: Upping the Care on Downers: The Evidence of Risks, Benefits and Alternatives," using the term "downers" as a colloquial name for benzodiazepines and other sedatives (PubMed Central, January 2018).
Entertainment
The term is often used in film and television to describe a person who is habitually negative or a partygoer who brings the mood down.
In music, artists sometimes use the word to describe a person or a situation that makes them feel depressed, or to refer to the use of drugs.
General Public Discourse
"That movie was a real downer; everyone left the theater feeling sad."
"I can't talk to her right now; she's being a total downer about everything."
"When you're trying to stay positive, it's best to avoid downers."
10 Famous Quotes Using Downers
"We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a saltshaker half-full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers... and also a quart of tequila..." - Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
"You not supposed to feel down over whatever happen to you. I mean, you're supposed to use whatever happen to you as some type of upper, not a downer." - Bob Marley.
"There's a big difference between somebody who does acid on weekends and somebody who takes downers every day." - Tommy Rettig.
"I got tired and embarrassed by the constant poverty of those years. I told Doug [Brinkley] this is really going to be a horrible downer of a book [The Proud Highway] if all it's going to be is about being broke." - Hunter S. Thompson.
"I'm learning to accept the lack of privacy as the real downer in my profession." - Halle Berry.
"When I was ten, my family moved to Downer's Grove, Illinois. When I was twelve, I found them." - Emo Philips.
"I loved downers, almost any kind. Loved the colors of them. Loved them yellow... I did." - Rosemary Clooney.
"I'm just so sick of pedants and conceited little tearer-downers I could scream." - J.D. Salinger, Franny and Zooey.
"Half the time I feel like I'm appealing to the downer freaks out there." - Wolfman Jack.
"I started on the downers which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck." - Corey Haim.
Etymology
The word "downer" comes from the word "down," which has a long history in English. It first appeared as an adjective and adverb in the late 19th century. The original meaning referred to something that caused a person to feel sad or depressed. The idea is that it "brings you down" emotionally.
Its use to describe a sedative or tranquilizer, a drug that literally calms you down, is from the 1960s. This is in direct contrast to "uppers," which are stimulants that make you feel energetic or "up."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Downers
To be a downer: To be a person who brings the mood down or is consistently negative.
A real downer: Something or someone that is particularly disappointing, sad, or depressing.
Uppers and downers: A common phrase to refer to stimulants and sedatives, often in the context of drug use.
A downer on a good time: A phrase describing something that spoils an otherwise enjoyable event.
Come down from a high: To return to a normal state after a period of intense excitement or drug-induced euphoria, which can often be a "downer" experience.
Get the downers: To feel sad or depressed.
The ultimate downer: A phrase for the most disappointing or depressing event or outcome imaginable.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of downers from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
