Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

debbie downer

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.96 in modern English

Syllables
deb-bie -down-er
IPA
21
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A naysayer; one whose negative remarks depress or dissuade others.

Derogatory; Informal

Example Sentences

Etymology

Coined by Rachel Dratch and Paula Pell as the name of a recurring character on the American comedy show Saturday Night Live.

Usage

Inflected Forms

Debbie Downers (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

doubting Thomas gloomy Gus

Synonyms

negative Nancy negative Nelly

Questions

What does debbie downer mean?
A naysayer; one whose negative remarks depress or dissuade others.
Where does debbie downer come from?
Coined by Rachel Dratch and Paula Pell as the name of a recurring character on the American comedy show Saturday Night Live.

How to pronounce debbie downer

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “debbie downer”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “debbie downer”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “debbie downer” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.