- 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.
“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
There is a despondency now, with words like "depressing" and "empty" peppering the conversation.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
But as depressing as that may be, “The End of Oak Street” could very well be a blueprint for a fresh era in popcorn movies.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
Poultry companies are producing more chicken than consumers can buy, depressing wholesale prices and squeezing their profits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Ten days after my return to Cambridge, Herman forwarded the depressing news, which had been sent to my Copenhagen address.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
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.
