hand-me-down
adjective
1
: put in use by one person or group after being used, discarded, or handed down by another
hand-me-down clothes
hand-me-down anecdotes
2
: ready-made and usually cheap and shoddy
hand-me-down
noun
Examples of hand-me-down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s a sign that the hand-me-down nature of music – where the sound of one generation is incorporated and reinterpreted by the next – is alive and well.
—
Tom Roland, Billboard, 16 July 2025
So go check the attic for any old hand-me-down guitars.
—Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 3 June 2025
As an example, Xi said that he was forced to wear the clothes of his older sisters as hand-me-downs.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
Recently, a friend gave me a hand-me-down kit filled with beautiful wooden games and brightly colored books that promises to teach my child to read.
—Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
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.
Tom Roland, Billboard, 16 July 2025
So go check the attic for any old hand-me-down guitars.
—Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 3 June 2025
As an example, Xi said that he was forced to wear the clothes of his older sisters as hand-me-downs.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
Recently, a friend gave me a hand-me-down kit filled with beautiful wooden games and brightly colored books that promises to teach my child to read.
—Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-me-down
Cite this Entry
“Hand-me-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-me-down. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share