down at heel
Shabbily dressed, slovenly; impoverished; shabby, dilapidated.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“His old shoes look quite down at heel.”
“After losing his job, he looked rather down at heel in his worn-out coat and scuffed boots.”
“The once-grand estate had become noticeably down at heel, with peeling paint and overgrown gardens reflecting the family's declining fortune.”
- 01
bring to heel
To compel someone to obey; to force someone into a submissive condition.
- 02
close on the heels of
Near in time or place; very close.
- 03
cool one's heels
To wait, especially impatiently or restlessly.
- 04
dig in one's heels
To act in a determined manner by firmly maintaining one's beliefs, demands, situation, etc. in the face of opposition.
- 05
dig one's heels in
to refuse to change one's plans or ideas, especially when counseled otherwise
- 06
hot on someone's heels
Close behind; pursuing or following closely.
- 07
kick one's heels
To wait; to wait impatiently or restlessly.
- 08
kick up one's heels
To relax; to enjoy oneself; to do as one pleases.
Last updated August 10, 2026