Downvoted

Downvoted is the past tense and past participle of the verb downvote, meaning to cast a downvote on a post or comment to express disapproval or indicate low quality. It can also function as an adjective describing content that has received downvotes, for example a downvoted answer or post.

In online communities that use upvote/downvote systems, downvotes signal content quality and influence visibility, ranking, or reputation. The exact effect varies by platform. On Reddit, downvotes typically reduce a post’s or comment’s prominence within feeds. On Stack Exchange networks, downvotes reduce the post author’s reputation by a small amount per downvote, with separate rules for questions and answers. Some platforms use downvotes primarily to adjust ordering or hide content without affecting user reputation; others combine both visibility and reputation consequences.

Usage and etiquette emphasize that downvoting should reflect quality concerns such as irrelevance, inaccuracy, unsourcing, or violations of site guidelines, rather than personal disagreement. Constructive feedback in comments is often encouraged to help the author improve the content. Abusive or retaliatory downvoting can breach community rules and may be moderated.

Impact can include decreased visibility for the downvoted content and, for the author, a change in reputation or standing within the community. Repeated or targeted downvotes can trigger moderation or discussion about content quality, rather than punishment for the author.

See also: Upvote, Karma, Reputation, Moderation.