idiom · informal
down and out
/ˌdaʊn ən ˈaʊt/DOWN and OUT
speakingtask2
without money, home, or prospects; destitute
Examples
“After several bad breaks he ended up down and out on the streets.”
“The crisis left many families down and out.”
“Charities try to help the down and out in winter.”
Band 8 sentence
“When the factory closed, dozens of workers were left down and out, struggling to find any work.”
Collocations
- the down-and-out
- feel down and out
Word family
down and out adjective/phrase
Common mistakes
I'm down out→I'm down and out
down & out→down and out
Say it for a higher band
5be poor→6have nothing→7+down and out
Synonyms
destitute
Easily confused
homeless
“After the fire they were homeless for several weeks.”
destitute
“The earthquake left many families destitute.”
Related words
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In Hardship
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