Meaning
Looking or feeling dejected, disappointed, or in low spirits. The phrase pictures the physical droop of the corners of the mouth that comes with unhappiness, so it usually describes a visible, temporary sagging of mood rather than deep depression. Informal and rather gentle; it describes visible dejection, not clinical depression. Regional use: General English.
Origin
The OED documents down in the mouth from 1649, glossing it as having the corners of the mouth turned downwards, a sign of dissatisfaction; dejected, dispirited. Its first citation is from Bishop Joseph Hall's Resolutions and Decisions (1649). Etymonline dates the expression to the 1640s on the same downturned-mouth image. A 19th-century starting point, sometimes suggested, is too late by two centuries; the phrase belongs to the mid-17th century. The OED also notes the later forms down-at-mouth and down-at-the-mouth as rarer variants.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- down at the mouth
- down-at-the-mouth
- look down in the mouth
Usage Examples
- You have seemed a bit down in the mouth since the transfer to the Leeds office fell through.
- Even the dog looked down in the mouth after the family postponed the beach trip.
- Nothing was said at the review meeting, but everyone came out looking down in the mouth.