Definition of "downer"

You don't really need to know me. I'm kind of a downer.

2009, Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are

Geffen had never understood why such a downer of a film was being released over the holidays.

2010, Nicole LaPorte, The Men Who Would Be King

The ten-dollar bill was for eating money and the prod pole to be used when the train stopped for water in getting "downers" back on their feet.

1964, John Hendrix, If I Can Do It Horseback: A Cow-Country Sketchbook, page 40

In 1993, Farm Sanctuary produced undercover footage of downers being lifted by forklift at Hallmark, prompting introduction of a California downer cattle law the next year. Either management provided instructions to get the downers moving or was asleep at the wheel and let employees run wild — in either case, it's an indictment of management.

2009, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, Hallmark/Westland Meat Recall

The two plants where I saw great reductions in downers have reduced, but not eliminated Paylean use.

2009, Meat & Poultry - Volume 55, Issues 7-12, page lxxii

In the Workplace Industrial Relations Survey, a strike may be a downer or a stoppage as defined by the Department.

1978, C. T. B. Smith, Great Britain. Dept. of Employment, Manpower Papers (issue 15, page 158)

Cowley experienced a rash of 'downers' — short, sharp, unofficial strikes.

1985, Alex Callinicos, Mike Simons, The Great Strike: The Miners' Strike of 1984-5 and Its Lessons

The price of a case (five shillings piece bad) from the smasher is about one shilling; an alderman (two and sixpence) about sixpence; a peg (shilling) about threepence; a downer or sprat (sixpence) about twopence.

1859, Snowden's magistrates assistant, page 90