noun
lowdown
noun
1
Informal: the true facts or inside information about something.
"Give me the lowdown on what happened at the meeting."
adj
1
Mean, dishonorable, or shameful.
"That was a lowdown thing to do to a friend."
How to Use Lowdown
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe real story or inside details, or (as an adjective) shabby and dishonorable.
When to use it
Informal, mostly used in speech.
Common pairings
give me the lowdown
a lowdown trick
Word Forms
more lowdown comparative, more lowdown comparative, most lowdown superlative, most lowdown superlative
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Etymology
From low plus down, originally meaning "humble," later shifting to slang for secret/inside information by the early 1900s.