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Synonyms

in the doldrums

Idioms  
  1. Depressed; dull and listless. For example, Dean's in the doldrums for most of every winter. This expression alludes to the maritime doldrums, a belt of calms and light winds north of the equator in which sailing ships were often becalmed. [Early 1800s] Also see down in the dumps.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But with negotiations in the doldrums, new weekend drone attacks on Gulf countries and fresh threats from US President Donald Trump have heightened fears that fighting could resume.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Lately crypto trading is in the doldrums, but some Circle proponents have been making the case for why that might not matter for the company in the future.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

Carney’s sovereign-wealth-fund measure is his latest policy effort to accelerate business investment in the country, which has been in the doldrums for a prolonged period.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Gucci is still in the doldrums and sales fell 8% in the quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

We had been in the doldrums for months, but as we staited to prepare ourselves for our testimony, we were eager to go on the offensive.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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