depress
Americanverb (used with object)
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depresses,
present (3rd person singular)
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depressed,
past participle, past
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depressing
present participle
-
to make sad or gloomy; lower in spirits; deject; dispirit.
- Synonyms:
- sadden, discourage, dishearten
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to lower in force, vigor, activity, etc.; weaken; make dull.
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to lower in amount or value.
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to put into a lower position.
to depress the muzzle of a gun.
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to press down.
-
Music. to lower in pitch.
verb
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to lower in spirits; make gloomy; deject
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to weaken or lower the force, vigour, or energy of
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to lower prices of (securities or a security market)
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to press or push down
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to lower the pitch of (a musical sound)
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obsolete to suppress or subjugate
Synonym Usage
See oppress.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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depressibilitynoun
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overdepressverb (used with object)
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depressibleadjective
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undepressibleadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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depresssimple
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depressessimple
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have depressedperfect
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has depressedperfect
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am depressingprogressive
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are depressingprogressive
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is depressingprogressive
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have been depressingperfect progressive
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has been depressingperfect progressive
Past
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depressedsimple
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had depressedperfect
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was depressingprogressive
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were depressingprogressive
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had been depressingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of depress
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English depressen, from Anglo-French, Old French depresser, from Latin dēpressus “pressed down” (past participle of dēprimere, equivalent to de- de- + -primere, combining form of premere “to press”); see pressure
Explanation
Depress means to lessen the activity or power of something. If you want to depress the spread of poverty, you need to find ways to slow it down, like by bringing education and skill-building resources into the poorest communities. The word depress comes from the Old French word depresser, meaning "put down by force." Depress can be used literally to describe something you push down, like when you depress the handle on a toaster to lower the bread. It can also describe a more figurative lowering, such as the lowering of a person's emotional state. Attending a funeral is likely to depress you, and watching a sad movie afterwards will just sink your spirits even more.
Vocabulary lists containing depress
Hatchet
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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.
See Examples For:
A federal judge ordered an end to practices that depress ad rates for web publishers, but declined to order a divestiture of Google’s ad exchange and other technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The trade deficit, what’s more, is unlikely to depress GDP in the third quarter.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
For those who have not been identified, negative feedback from adults and peers can further depress self-esteem.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Wall Street analysts have said they expect the outbreak to measurably depress Taco Bell’s U.S. sales in the short term.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
I even think depression is caused by thinking about things that depress you.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Extreme heat depresses economic activity by restricting work and disrupting transport.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
In the macro economy, uncertainty depresses economic activity, increases stock market volatility and reduces returns.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 27, 2026
“It is the duration of a shock, not its magnitude, that structurally depresses valuations,” he says.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
Jonny's prediction: It depresses me how good Sunderland are this season.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
“Naw,” he said, “that’s a loser’s song. Nothing depresses me more than a loser’s song. Let’s sing something else.”
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
He and local business owners hope the sailors will boost the economy at a time when the war in Iran has pushed up the cost of air travel and depressed foreign tourism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
This buffer allows retirees to fund living expenses without being forced to liquidate depressed stocks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
By the next summer, problems in his work had left him feeling anxious, depressed and worthless.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
“I auditioned for it while I was working at Secret Cinema and I was incredibly depressed because I was auditioning and not getting anything,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Never robust, he became depressed and lost weight.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
One resident described the situation in Coedpoeth as "depressing"
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
It’s rather depressing how many surprised people, upon meeting Simpson, are clearly delighted to do so; something in our “lizard brain” makes us react that way, says Mr. Mahr, and he’s on to something.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
“Then on Friday, I typically work from home because nobody’s in the office, and it’s depressing when there’s nobody there.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
In era when so much about the news is just plain depressing, what stands out about the burgeoning public rebellion against Flock security cameras is just how fun it all is.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Perhaps sensing the hopelessness of his situation, Garfield yearned to leave the cramped, depressing White House sickroom and the foul smell of Washington's swamps that wafted in through the open windows.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
