down at heel

down at heel
1 the resort looks down at heel: RUN DOWN, dilapidated, neglected, uncared-for; seedy, insalubrious, squalid, slummy, wretched; informal scruffy, scuzzy; Brit. informal grotty; N. Amer. informal shacky.
2 a down-at-heel labourer: SCRUFFY, shabby, ragged, tattered, mangy, sorry; unkempt, bedraggled, dishevelled, ungroomed, seedy, untidy, slovenly; informal tatty, scuzzy, grungy; Brit. informal grotty; N. Amer. informal raggedy.
smart.

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phrasal or down at the heel
: in or into a run-down, shabby, or slovenly condition

old shoes which were down at heel — O.S.J.Gogarty

they ran down at the heel somewhat as people will do anywhere when cut off from contact with a larger world — A.W.Long

very down at the heel in appearance — Albert Hubbell

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down at heel
1. Having the heels of one's shoes trodden down
2. Slovenly
3. In poor circumstances
• • •
Main Entry: ↑heel

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(of a shoe) with the heel worn down
■ having a poor, shabby appearance

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ˌdown at ˈheel [down at heel] adjective
looking less attractive and fashionable than before, usually because of a lack of money

•

The town has become very down at heel.

•

a down-at-heel hotel


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • down-at-heel — /down euht heel /, adj. of a shabby, run down appearance; seedy: He is rapidly becoming a down at heel drifter and a drunk. Also, down at the heel, down at heels, down at the heels. [1695 1705] * * * …   Universalium

  • down-at-heel — • down at heel • down at the heel • down at the heels adj Poorly kept up or dressed shabby; not neat; sloppy. John is always down at the heels, but his sister is always very neat. Old houses sometimes look down at the heel …   Словарь американских идиом

  • down at heel — Someone who is down at heel is short of money. ( Down in heel is used in American English) …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • down-at-heel(s) — down′ at heel(s)′ or down′ at the heel(s)′ adj. of a shabby, run down appearance; seedy • Etymology: 1695–1705 …   From formal English to slang

  • down-at-heel — adj BrE unattractive and not well cared for, because of a lack of money ▪ The town today is a shabby, down at heel place …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • down-at-heel — adjective 1. ) looking old and no longer in good condition: down at heel offices 2. ) wearing old clothes, because you do not have enough money to buy new ones …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • down at heel — ► ADJECTIVE chiefly Brit. 1) (of a shoe) with the heel worn down. 2) shabby or impoverished …   English terms dictionary

  • down at heel — (Brit.) adj. badly dressed due to lack of money; shabbily dressed ; wearing old clothes or ragged clothes due to lack of money; dilapidated; of run down look …   English contemporary dictionary

  • down-at-heel — adj 1 ILL DRESSED, frayed, tattered, ragged, drab, frowsy, dowdy, shabby, poor, slovenly 2 the pub looked down at heel dingy, run down, dilapidated, ramshackle, in disrepair, neglected, tumbledown, uncared for COLLOQ. tatty, tacky, seedy * * *… …   Useful english dictionary

  • down-at-heel — also down at heel ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n Something that is down at heel is in a in bad condition because it has been used too much or has not been looked after properly. If you say that someone is down at heel, you mean that they are wearing old,… …   English dictionary

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