down-and-out
C1Informal, sometimes slightly dated or literary.
Definition
Meaning
A person who is completely without money, a job, or a home; destitute and with no means of support.
A state of complete defeat, hopelessness, or extreme misfortune; also used as an adjective to describe someone in such a state.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as a countable noun ('a down-and-out') or a predicate adjective ('he was down-and-out'). The term implies not just poverty but social and personal collapse, often with connotations of vagrancy or living on the streets.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is understood in both varieties, but its use in American English is strongly associated with early 20th-century boxing/hobo culture. In British English, it retains a slightly more general literary use.
Connotations
In both, it carries a strong image of social failure and street life. In AmE, the phrase 'on the down-and-out' is an obsolete variant meaning 'on the decline'.
Frequency
More frequent in historical or descriptive contexts than in contemporary everyday speech in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
He was [down-and-out].She helped a [down-and-out].The [down-and-outs] slept in the park.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “down but not out (from boxing, meaning defeated but not finished)”
- “on the skids (similar trajectory towards ruin)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used. Might appear in hyperbolic, informal reference to a failed company or entrepreneur: 'After the scandal, he was a financial down-and-out.'
Academic
Used in sociological/historical texts discussing poverty, homelessness, or the Great Depression.
Everyday
Used to describe someone seen as completely failed or living on the streets. Can be considered blunt or insensitive.
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- After losing his job and flat, he was completely down-and-out.
- She offered a sandwich to a down-and-out man sheltering in the doorway.
American English
- He looked totally down-and-out, sitting on the curb with all his belongings.
- The charity aimed to help down-and-out veterans get back on their feet.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The man was a down-and-out and slept in the park.
- After the fire, the family was down-and-out.
- Many down-and-outs rely on the kindness of strangers and local shelters.
- He found himself down-and-out in London with just a few pounds in his pocket.
- The novel's protagonist descends from wealth to becoming a down-and-out on the streets of New York, a powerful critique of the social system.
- Policies that focus solely on punishment do little to address the complex reasons why someone becomes down-and-out.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a boxer knocked DOWN on the canvas AND counted OUT. He's lost everything in that fight, just like a person with no money, home, or prospects.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A COMPETITION (BOXING). Being 'down' (defeated) and 'out' (disqualified) means you have lost the game of life.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating it as просто 'бедный' (poor) or 'бездомный' (homeless). It combines both into a stronger image of social ruin, closer to 'опустившийся человек', 'бомж' (colloquial, but similar bluntness), or 'нищий'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb ('He down-and-outed'). Incorrect. | Using it as a standard adjective before a noun without a hyphen ('a down and out man'). The hyphenated form is required when used attributively (a down-and-out man).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'down-and-out' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be perceived as insensitive or dehumanizing because it labels a person by their condition of extreme poverty. Terms like 'person experiencing homelessness' or 'person in destitution' are often preferred in sensitive or formal contexts.
Its primary use is for people. However, it can be used metaphorically for things (e.g., 'a down-and-out neighbourhood'), but this is less common and stylistically marked.
'Homeless' specifically means lacking a fixed residence. 'Down-and-out' is broader and stronger, implying homelessness combined with a complete lack of money, resources, and often hope or social standing.
It originates from late 19th-century boxing slang. A boxer who is 'down' (knocked to the canvas) and 'out' (fails to rise before the count of ten) loses the fight. This was metaphorically extended to mean a person who is defeated in life.