variants
or down-at-heel
also down-at-the-heel
or down-at-heels
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
the stately mansion where he lives now is a far cry from the down-at-the-heels triple-decker in which he grew up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of down-at-the-heels
By late 2015, the otherwise down-at-the-heels Quebec shipyard was awarded a contract for modification of the MV Asterix, an auxiliary replenishment vessel.
—
Craig Hooper, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
By late 2015, the otherwise down-at-the-heels Quebec shipyard was awarded a contract for modification of the MV Asterix, an auxiliary replenishment vessel.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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
Craig Hooper, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
By late 2015, the otherwise down-at-the-heels Quebec shipyard was awarded a contract for modification of the MV Asterix, an auxiliary replenishment vessel.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-at-the-heels
Adjective
-
Located inside an early 20th-century building, this dilapidated space has been given a new lease on life by the Parisian interior designer.—
Annabelle Dufraigne,
Architectural Digest,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Rows of young men in camouflage report for roll call in the shadow of dilapidated, battle-scarred buildings.—
Dominique Soguel,
Christian Science Monitor,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Down-at-the-heels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-at-the-heels. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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