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Searching for a (preferably) single word or expression that describes when a person used to "better" things (in life) has to live with less.

For example: if someone gets used to fine dining/wine or other luxury lifestyle and then has to "downgrade" to ramen noodles.

Its a mix of nostalgia (for the old/better times), depression (nothing will ever be as good again) and disgust (at having to put up with worse quality).

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    This question is Primarily Opinion-based. Someone in such a situation may feel wistful/regretful, resigned, or cheated/deprived, for example. That's at least three different feelings, and I'm sure there are many more.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Jan 23, 2015 at 15:10
  • Well, he felt, if I recall correctly), enraged, indignant, stupefied, cheated, vengeful, challenged, confused, enlightened, then in love, more empathetic, wiser, etc. So, this is a guessing game, which is off topic here.
    – anongoodnurse
    Commented Jan 23, 2015 at 16:16
  • @FumbleFingers is there a way of getting all the words that could be used to describe the feeling I have requested in my question? is there a better place than english.stackexchange to request this?
    – nelsonic
    Commented Jan 25, 2015 at 22:11
  • how about a feeling of "has-been-ness"?
    – user58319
    Commented Aug 9, 2015 at 8:21
  • has-been-ness is a good one. however we're looking for a word that rolls off the tongue a bit better. thanks!
    – nelsonic
    Commented Aug 9, 2015 at 8:36

3 Answers 3

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Consider the verb humble, and its participle, humbled

Lower (someone) in dignity or importance: I knew he had humbled himself to ask for my help

Oxford Dictionaries Online

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You could say they were (or, felt) debased or demeaned - both of which imply a loss of social standing.

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This is the kind of situation in which people are liable to experience disappointment, frustration, dashed hopes/expectations and/or a sense of defeat.

They may feel the rug has been pulled out from under them, or that this wasn't what they signed up for.

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  • The rug has been pulled from under you! :)
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Jan 23, 2015 at 15:13
  • @FumbleFingers - Whoops. Apparently, I was inadvertently borrowing your ELU persona. :)
    – Erik Kowal
    Commented Jan 23, 2015 at 15:17
  • I had to check Google Books to be sure (there are thousands of instances of rug in that link, but none at all for rag). I got caught out once before, when I assumed "everybody knows" that a dog can be rife with fleas, but a promising environment has to be ripe with opportunity. Not so in America, apparently.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Jan 23, 2015 at 15:25
  • @FumbleFingers - Nothing so fraught with complications here: just a simple typo. (Though some adventurous sleuths here might allow themselves to speculate regarding a possible connection with toerag. :)
    – Erik Kowal
    Commented Jan 23, 2015 at 15:30

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