down in the mouth

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adjective

down in the mouth (comparative more down in the mouth, superlative most down in the mouth)

1. (idiomatic) Sad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.

   Synonyms: dejected, disheartened, dispirited; see also Thesaurus:sad

   • 1839, Charles Dickens, chapter 16, in Oliver Twist:

     "Is the old 'un here?" asked the robber. "Yes," replied the voice, "and precious down in the mouth he has been."

   • 1940 July 15, “Wait Awhile”, in Time:

     Said Chrysler's tough, dynamic boss, K. T. Keller: "Don't get down in the mouth about business in this country. There is going to be a lot of money spent here."

   • 2006 October 26, Howard Kurtz, “In Iraq, Journalist Richard Engel Sticks to the Story”, in Washington Post, retrieved 3 Nov. 2008:

     "He was down in the mouth and low on self-confidence," says his mother, Nina Engel.

Translations

sad

• German: den Kopf hängen lassen (de)
• Russian: опеча́ленный (ru) m (opečálennyj)
• Spanish: cariacontecido (es)