# man down

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/man-down
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To lose courage or cause to lose courage.

## Examples

- He felt like a man down after his team lost the game.
- The difficult project made the whole office feel like a man down, so the manager tried to boost their spirits.
- Facing relentless criticism from the board, the director felt like a man down and struggled to maintain his usual confidence in the strategy.

## Origin

From the verb *man*, signifying the act of bracing or fortifying oneself, supplying a crew, or accustoming a hawk to the presence of men, plus *down*.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.