doldrums

American  

[dohl-druhmz, dol-, dawl-] / ˈdoʊl drəmz, ˈdɒl-, ˈdɔl- /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. a state of inactivity or stagnation, as in business or art.

   August is a time of doldrums for many enterprises.

2. the doldrums,

   1. a belt of calms and light baffling winds north of the equator between the northern and southern trade winds in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

   2. the weather prevailing in this area.

3. a dull, listless, depressed mood; low spirits.

   Synonyms:

   dejection, melancholy, gloom, depression

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doldrums British  

/ ˈdɒldrəmz /

noun

1. a depressed or bored state of mind

2. a state of inactivity or stagnation

3. 1. a belt of light winds or calms along the equator

   2. the weather conditions experienced in this belt, formerly a hazard to sailing vessels

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doldrums Scientific  

/ dōl′drəmz′ /

1. A region of the globe found over the oceans near the equator in the intertropical convergence zone and having weather characterized variously by calm air, light winds, or squalls and thunderstorms. Hurricanes originate in this region.

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doldrums Idioms  

1. see in the doldrums.

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Etymology

Origin of doldrums

First recorded in 1795–1805; obsolete dold stupid ( see dolt) + -rum(s) (plural) noun suffix ( see tantrum)

Explanation

Doldrums aren’t drums that you can play like the tom-toms. Rather people use this noun to describe a period of time that is boring, depressing, or characterized by inactivity. The noun doldrums is derived from the word dull. If you’ve been vegging out in front of the TV for hours, bored out of your mind, you might say you’re "in the doldrums." This word is often used in phrases describing a slump in the economy or as in “the summer doldrums” to describe the hot, lazy days of summer.

Example Sentences

“Escaping the doldrums” depicted a frightened man running from a family of monsters, presumably named the Doldrums, who stand in a castle doorway.

From New York Times • Aug. 11, 2022

Doldrums: You two should start to be deliberate in your actions — small and large — until you figure out where you left your mojo.

From Washington Post • Feb. 6, 2022

Besides rough seas, another challenge will be crossing the low-pressure area near the Equator known as the Doldrums, where boats can be becalmed for weeks.

From Reuters • Nov. 13, 2016

First to fall for his gonzoid charms were the New Weird America set, when Pink's first album proper, The Doldrums, was released on Animal Collective's Paw Tracks label in 2004.

From The Guardian • May 30, 2010

“The Doldrums, my young friend, are where nothing ever happens and nothing ever changes.”

From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster

Related Words

• gloom
• malaise
• slump
• stagnation
• stupor