- present participle of depress.
depressing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of depressing
Explanation
Depressing things make you feel sad or inadequate, possibly because they serve as reminders of weaknesses or defects. For example, it can be depressing to be around a happy family when all your relatives are fighting with each other. If a friend acts as if something is depressing him, you might ask, "What's bringing you down?" In fact depress comes from the Latin word depremere, meaning "to press down." Depressing things make you feel like your spirits are low or your heart is heavy. Something depressing weighs you down, just as something happy tends to boost you or make you feel like you are flying high.
Vocabulary lists containing depressing
The Dead and the Gone
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Better Nate Than Ever
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Louder than Hunger
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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.
“Shelters can be depressing, and pigs are smart,” Harrison said in a text message.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
There is a despondency now, with words like "depressing" and "empty" peppering the conversation.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Two years ago, Starbucks investors were having a lousy day following another depressing set of quarterly results.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Measles cases in the U.S. just set a depressing record, making 2026 the worst year for the disease since the Soviet Union collapsed.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
I did this by depressing the brake pedal very carefully and very slowly.
From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo
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.
