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• depression
  depression

  noun

  the act of depressing.
• Depression
  Depression

  noun

  the worldwide economic depression of the early 1930s, when there was mass unemployment

depression

American  

[dih-presh-uhn] / dɪˈprɛʃ ən /

noun

• depressions
  plural

1. the act of depressing.

2. the state of being depressed.

3. a depressed or sunken place or part; an area lower than the surrounding surface.

4. sadness; gloom; dejection.

   Synonyms:

   despondency, discouragement

5. Psychiatry. a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason.

6. dullness or inactivity, as of trade.

7. Economics. a period during which business, employment, and stock-market values decline severely or remain at a very low level of activity.

8. the Depression. Great Depression.

9. Pathology. a low state of vital powers or functional activity.

10. Astronomy. the angular distance of a celestial body below the horizon; negative altitude.

11. Surveying. angle of depression.

12. Physical Geography. an area completely or mostly surrounded by higher land, ordinarily having interior drainage and not conforming to the valley of a single stream.

13. Meteorology. an area of low atmospheric pressure.

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depression ¹ British  

/ dɪˈprɛʃən /

noun

1. the act of depressing or state of being depressed

2. a depressed or sunken place or area

3. a mental disorder characterized by extreme gloom, feelings of inadequacy, and inability to concentrate

4. pathol an abnormal lowering of the rate of any physiological activity or function, such as respiration

5. an economic condition characterized by substantial and protracted unemployment, low output and investment, etc; slump

6. Also called: cyclone, low. meteorol a large body of rotating and rising air below normal atmospheric pressure, which often brings rain

7. (esp in surveying and astronomy) the angular distance of an object, celestial body, etc, below the horizontal plane through the point of observation Compare elevation

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Depression ² British  

/ dɪˈprɛʃən /

noun

1. Also known as: the Great Depression, the Slump. the worldwide economic depression of the early 1930s, when there was mass unemployment

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depression Scientific  

/ dĭ-prĕsh′ən /

1. A geographic area, such as a sinkhole or basin, that is lower than its surroundings.

2. A mood disorder characterized by an inability to experience pleasure, difficulty in concentrating, disturbance of sleep and appetite, and feelings of sadness, guilt, and helplessness.

3. A reduction in the activity of a physiological process, such as respiration.

4. A region of low atmospheric pressure. Low pressure systems result in precipitation, ranging from mild to severe in intensity.

5. See also cyclone

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depression Cultural  

1. A period of drastic decline in the national economy, characterized by decreasing business activity, falling prices, and unemployment. The best known of such periods is the Great Depression, which occurred in the 1930s.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• minidepression
  noun
• nondepression
  noun
• predepression
  noun
• antidepression
  adjective
• postdepression
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• depressions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of depression

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Medieval Latin dēpressiōn- (stem of dēpressiō ), Late Latin: “a pressing down,” equivalent to Latin dēpress(us) + -iōn- noun suffix; see depress, -ion

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Explanation

The act of pressing down on something is called making a depression, and when people suffer from psychological depression that is often what it feels like — the world itself is pressing down on them. Depression can be a persistent mood (rotten), an economic situation (the worst), or just the geography (low). The Great Depression was when poor policy and economic circumstances combined to create a long period of time everyone struggled to even get food on the table.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

depression Depression depressions

A major battle in northern Ukraine helped distract him from a deepening depression.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

"When I'm feeling low with my depression or anxiety and more anxious about going out I know that I can come to Happy Mums, I look forward to it," she said.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

"Better sleep means better brain health and potentially lower risks of chronic disease and depression."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

The Fox NFL Sunday co-host and Hall of Fame quarterback met with the Los Angeles Times recently to discuss his new book, “Looking for Terry,” which delves into divorce and his struggle with depression.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

Esperanza had always been good with his own anxiety and depression over the years, but he knew this was the one big thing she never seemed to get.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

My poor and hardworking parents struggled through the Depression.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

It set off what was called the Great Depression, until the actual Great Depression happened.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

It was Mexican Independence Day in 1926, a few years before the Great Depression and the forced removal of Mexicans and Mexican Americans that followed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

When asked if she was depressed, she responded: "Depression? 100% I cry too much."

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Over the next three years, as the Depression strangled the economy, state governments searched desperately for revenue.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Market corrections, recessions, depressions, pandemics and human folly, along with investing in individual stocks despite the standard advice to diversify your holdings, can all take a toll on retirement savings.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Wrinkle structures are small ridges and depressions that can form when microbial communities grow into mats across sandy sediment.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

She sees a nation that has endured wars, depressions and cultural upheavals, and she wonders what inner resources we must cultivate to endure what comes next.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Nonsurgical options like dermal fillers or fat grafting can suffuse depressions to create a more centered appearance.

From Slate ● Feb. 22, 2026

There was something slightly vague about his face—like bread dough that had begun to rise, smoothing out the bumps and cracks and depressions.

From "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman

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