depression

[ dih-presh-uhn ]

/ dɪˈprɛʃ ən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR depression ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state of being depressed.

a depressed or sunken place or part; an area lower than the surrounding surface.

sadness; gloom; dejection.

Psychiatry. a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason.Compare clinical depression.

dullness or inactivity, as of trade.

Economics. a period during which business, employment, and stock-market values decline severely or remain at a very low level of activity.

the Depression. Great Depression.

Pathology. a low state of vital powers or functional activity.

Astronomy. the angular distance of a celestial body below the horizon; negative altitude.

Surveying. the angle between the line from an observer or instrument to an object below either of them and a horizontal line.

Physical Geography. an area completely or mostly surrounded by higher land, ordinarily having interior drainage and not conforming to the valley of a single stream.

Meteorology. an area of low atmospheric pressure.

Nearby words

Origin of depression

1350–1400; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Medieval Latin dēpressiōn- (stem of dēpressiō), Late Latin: a pressing down, equivalent to Latin dēpress(us) (see depress) + -iōn- -ion

SYNONYMS FOR depression

4. discouragement, despondency.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR depression ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

an·ti·de·pres·sion, adjective, nounmin·i·de·pres·sion, nounnon·de·pres·sion, nounpost·de·pres·sion, adjective

pre·de·pres·sion, noun, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for depression

Disordered eating is also linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety, both in the present and in the future.
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Adrift in senility and depression, Hitchcock is dismantling his life, putting it away.
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Yet, in pursuit of that ‘great revival of art,’ his anxiety, depression, and overall health began to deteriorate.
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Practicing yoga, studies show, can alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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It may be more difficult for someone who already had issues with impulsivity or depression to have those conditions aggravated.
Understanding Tracy Morgan’s Traumatic Brain Injury|Jean Kim|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It had lifted her out of the anger and depression in which she had been plunged by the Rupert Louth episode.
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Certain phases of city life are responsible for much dissatisfaction with existence and depression of spirits.
Psychotherapy|James J. Walsh
Depression is often the only symptom; to some girls the premonitory "blues" signify the approach of the period.
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In moments of depression, he would admire the beautiful invention of writing and the power of mind displayed in human speech.
Shelley, Godwin and Their Circle|H. N. Brailsford
The depression of her spirits, or rather the weight upon her mind, appeared again as soon as they were alone together.
Helen|Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for depression

depression

/ (dɪˈprɛʃən) /

noun

the act of depressing or state of being depressed

a depressed or sunken place or area

a mental disorder characterized by extreme gloom, feelings of inadequacy, and inability to concentrate

pathol an abnormal lowering of the rate of any physiological activity or function, such as respiration

an economic condition characterized by substantial and protracted unemployment, low output and investment, etc; slump

Also called: cyclone, low meteorol a large body of rotating and rising air below normal atmospheric pressure, which often brings rain

(esp in surveying and astronomy) the angular distance of an object, celestial body, etc, below the horizontal plane through the point of observationCompare elevation (def. 11)

Depression

/ (dɪˈprɛʃən) /

noun

the Depression the worldwide economic depression of the early 1930s, when there was mass unemploymentAlso known as: the Great Depression, the Slump

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

Word Origin and History for depression

depression

late 14c. as a term in astronomy, from Old French depression (14c.) or directly from Latin depressionem (nominative depressio), noun of action from past participle stem of deprimere "to press down, depress" (see depress).

Attested from 1650s in the literal sense; meaning "dejection, depression of spirits" is from early 15c. (as a clinical term in psychology, from 1905); meteorological sense is from 1881 (in reference to barometric pressure); meaning "a lowering or reduction in economic activity" was in use by 1826; given a specific application (with capital D-) by 1934 to the one that began worldwide in 1929. For "melancholy, depression" an Old English word was grevoushede.

Medicine definitions for depression

depression

[ dĭ-prĕsh′ən ]

n.

The act of depressing or the state of being depressed.

A reduction in physiological vigor or activity.

A lowering in amount, degree, or position.

An inward displacement of a body part.

A hollow or sunken area.

The condition of feeling sad or despondent.

A psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, anhedonia, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, helplessness and hopelessness, and thoughts of death.clinical depression

Science definitions for depression

depression

[ dĭ-prĕsh′ən ]

A geographic area, such as a sinkhole or basin, that is lower than its surroundings.

A mood disorder characterized by an inability to experience pleasure, difficulty in concentrating, disturbance of sleep and appetite, and feelings of sadness, guilt, and helplessness.

A reduction in the activity of a physiological process, such as respiration.

A region of low atmospheric pressure. Low pressure systems result in precipitation, ranging from mild to severe in intensity. See also cyclone.

Culture definitions for depression

depression

A period of drastic decline in the national economy, characterized by decreasing business activity, falling prices, and unemployment. The best known of such periods is the Great Depression, which occurred in the 1930s.

depression

noun

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