glow-down

noun

A disappointing or undesirable transformation in appearance, talent, power, etc.

Opposite
glow-up
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounglow-down (plural glow-downs)

plural glow-downs

  1. slangA disappointing or undesirable transformation in appearance, talent, power, etc.

    Whilst some amongst us have risen like a sartorial phoenix from the ashes of lockdown, others (myself included) have experienced more of a glow-down than a glow-up. Jeans and a jumper have become de rigueur, while out of the house ventures have the air of a frenzied dip into the fancy dress box.

    2020 December 11, Amy Sedghi, “How a session with Katie Holmes’ stylist changed the way I dress – without buying anything new”, in The Telegraph

    Antonyms: glow-up

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA disappointing or undesirable transformation in appearance, talent, power, etc.

Opposite
glow-up

Origin

Modelled after glow-up.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

glow-down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glow-down

MLA

“glow-down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glow-down. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “glow-down,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glow-down.

Source: glow-down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.