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Synonyms

depressing

American  
[dih-pres-ing] / dɪˈprɛs ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. serving to depress; inducing a state of depression.

    depressing news.
depressing British  
/ dɪˈprɛsɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing a feeling of dejection or low spirits

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • depressingly adverb
  • nondepressing adjective
  • nondepressingly adverb
  • undepressing adjective

Etymology

Origin of depressing

First recorded in 1780–90; depress + -ing 2

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.

The reasons why that happened are nearly too obvious and too depressing to enumerate.

From Salon

A glut of corn and soybeans is depressing prices, leading to steep losses for row-crop farmers.

From The Wall Street Journal

A chronology of some of the incidents suffered by him makes for depressing reading.

From BBC

We’ve been coming to the same party for 28 years now, and in no way is that depressing.

From The Wall Street Journal

Debbie tells him that the life insurance money has come through and hands him £10,000 from a bag packed with bills, depressing him further.

From Los Angeles Times

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.