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Glite Dictionary
🏚️ Lower quality 🔽 To reduce size
downscale

downscale

2 5.1
Goods or services that are cheaper and lower quality for people with less money
  • adjective
  • /ˈdaʊnˌskeɪl/
translation icon : económico
  • Marilyn was staying at the decidedly downscale Park Hotel, across from the similarly downscale Champs Mars, Port-au-Prince's town square.
  • downscale chic
  • downscale neighborhood

Examples

  • The restaurant became more downscale to attract a budget-conscious clientele.

  • The bar is downscale even for this town.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • It's a decidedly downscale area.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The address that Smithers had given me was in the low-rent, downscale portion of the near west side neighborhood known as Ohio City.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • A downscale, blue-collar salon, with five hair chairs and two manicure stations.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • They offer downscale options for customers who cannot afford luxury products.

  • His downscale apartment had basic furnishings and affordable rent.

Synonyms

downmarket
vsdownscale
6.0

Cheaper, lower-quality products or services for people with less money

is aimed at lower income buyers by being less expensive and lower quality

Antonyms

upscale
66 5.5

Expensive and high quality, liked by people with more money

How Expensive

upscale
66 5.5
midrange
1 3.9
downscale
2 5.1
cheap
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

downscale positive

Morphology

downscale = scale (semi-transparent) = down + scale

While 'down' and 'scale' are clear, the specific economic meaning is not directly derivable from the components.

Etymology

The word downscale comes from down ('lower') and scale ('size' or 'level'). So downscale describes things made for people with less money, meaning cheaper and often simpler than more expensive options.