Dictionary

lowdown en · ADJ

Etymology

Compound adjective of low + down in the sense of "humble" recorded in the 1540s, in the sense of "vulgar, far down the social scale" in 1888. Recorded as a noun in 1915 in the slang sense of secret or inside information.

Meanings

1. Unfair; scoundrelly; shameful.
   • lowdown tactics
2. seedy, sketchy, disreputable
   • Some kinda way, he talked Aunt Fanny into running off with him that night. When they got as far as Kansas City, he was through with her. They stayed in some lowdown kinda hotel in the colored section there', and after that they were headed God knows where. 1994, Ivan Webster, The Cares of the Day, University of Alabama Press, →ISBN, page 28:
   • So there I was, in the front row of course (it was my reportorial duty), with a bunch of gay men and straight women. And we're all involved in a lowdown — but eminently "Safe" — celebration of the erotic possibilities of the male body. 1988 August 20, Chris Reed, “The English 'Strip-tique'”, in Gay Community News, volume 16, number 6, page 11:
3. down low; purporting to be heterosexual while engaged in sex with men.

Forms

Translations (3)

cs sprostý (unfair, shameful) · cs podlý (unfair, shameful) · cs nízký (unfair, shameful)

lowdown en · ADV

Etymology

Compound adjective of low + down in the sense of "humble" recorded in the 1540s, in the sense of "vulgar, far down the social scale" in 1888. Recorded as a noun in 1915 in the slang sense of secret or inside information.

Meanings

1. Unfairly; dishonourably; in a deceitful or mean manner.
   • “I say, that’s playing it a bit low down,” I protested. 1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 151:

Forms

lowdown en · NOUN

Etymology

Compound adjective of low + down in the sense of "humble" recorded in the 1540s, in the sense of "vulgar, far down the social scale" in 1888. Recorded as a noun in 1915 in the slang sense of secret or inside information.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) inside information, the story or truth.
   • to give somebody the lowdown
   • Lawyer Jeff, he knows the low-down / It’s mighty bad to visit home 1985, “Can’t Get There From Here”, in Fables of the Reconstruction, performed by R.E.M.:
   • here's the lowdown
   • All the reporters hoped to be the first to get the lowdown on the celebrity's marriage plans.
2. (uncountable) A lowlife, a despicable person.

Forms

Synonyms

poop · scoop · straight dope · dirt · dope

Translations (26)

es primicia (the whole truth) · da historie (the whole truth) · de Infos (the whole truth) · es notición (the whole truth) · es detalles (the whole truth) · fi tieto (the whole truth) · cs základní informace (the whole truth) · ja 真相 (the whole truth) · cmn 內幕 /内幕 (the whole truth) · es información (the whole truth) · de Fakten (the whole truth) · ru подного́тная (the whole truth) · de Informationen (the whole truth) · hu értesülés (the whole truth) · ja 内幕 (the whole truth) · es chiva (the whole truth) · es tubazo (the whole truth) · tr içyüz (the whole truth) · es emprima (the whole truth) · fi paljastus (the whole truth) · hu füles (the whole truth) · cmn 真相 (the whole truth) · fi faktat (the whole truth) · pt revelação (the whole truth) · ru подоплёка (the whole truth) · cs holá pravda (the whole truth)