down-at-the-heels

American  

[doun-uht-thuh-heelz] / ˈdaʊn ət ðəˈhilz /

Also down-at-the-heel;

adjective

1. having a shabby, run-down appearance; seedy.

   He is rapidly becoming a down-at-the-heels drifter and a drunk.

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Etymology

Origin of down-at-the-heels

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

In 1989, she joined Gucci, then a down-at-the-heels Italian leather goods house troubled by family scandals, counterfeiting, excessive licensing and overdistribution.

From New York Times • Feb. 17, 2020

I met up with Brown again for breakfast one summer morning last year in Southend-on-Sea, a down-at-the-heels resort town about forty miles east of London.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 30, 2019

Katims’ new show Rise, about a high school drama program in a down-at-the-heels Pennsylvania town, is based on the nonfiction book Drama High.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2018

It’s a terrific premise: the adventures of Arrowood, a down-at-the-heels private detective in London, 1895.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2017

I hate to be unkind, but the hotel is a bit down-at-the-heels.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin