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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.

"This study is probably the most depressing project I've been involved with in my entire life," Amaral said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

It has been a depressing crash course on the sea change in Silicon Valley.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Recent reviews have described the mall as derelict, depressing and “a hole of a centre.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

"Then they decided to move us to another space off the same hallway, which was a little bigger, but just as disgusting - just as depressing."

From BBC • Mar. 4, 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.