Down At The Heel

Pronunciation: /daʊn ət ðə hil/

Definitions of down at the heel

adjective in a poor or shabby condition, especially due to poverty or neglect

Example Sentences

A1 The old man's shoes were down at the heel.

A2 She didn't want to go out in public wearing shoes that were down at the heel.

B1 The company's image was down at the heel due to recent scandals.

B2 The once prestigious hotel had become down at the heel after years of neglect.

C1 The politician's reputation was down at the heel following a series of corruption allegations.

C2 Despite his wealth, the billionaire's personal life was down at the heel with multiple failed marriages and estranged children.

Examples of down at the heel in a Sentence

formal The old man was down at the heel, with worn-out shoes and tattered clothes.

informal She looked pretty down at the heel after working a double shift.

slang I feel so down at the heel after staying up all night partying.

figurative The company's reputation is down at the heel due to recent scandals.

Grammatical Forms of down at the heel

• past tense: went down at the heel
• plural: down at the heels
• comparative: more down at the heel
• superlative: most down at the heel
• present tense: is down at the heel
• future tense: will be down at the heel
• perfect tense: has been down at the heel
• continuous tense: is being down at the heel
• singular: down at the heel
• positive degree: down at the heel
• infinitive: to be down at the heel
• gerund: being down at the heel
• participle: down at the heeled

Origin and Evolution of down at the heel

First Known Use: 1828 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The origin of the phrase 'down at the heel' can be traced back to the early 19th century when it was used to describe worn-out or shabby shoes with the heel worn down.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'down at the heel' has evolved to be used figuratively to describe someone who is impoverished or in a poor financial or social state.