Glow down
Etymology
Coined as the antonym of glow-up (a dramatic improvement, itself popularized by a 2010s lyric and meme). The “down” inversion spread as glow-up became ubiquitous online.
noun · /GLOH-down/
A decline in appearance, quality, or form — the opposite of a glow-up.
What it names
It names a visible downturn where a glow-up names an ascent: a person, brand, or product that has clearly gotten worse. It can be a cruel observation about someone else or a self-deprecating admission about oneself.
Example
The app’s redesign was a real glow-down — slower, uglier, and harder to use.
Related idea
The mirror of glow-up: the same axis of transformation, run in the opposite direction.