depression

[dih-presh-uhn]

noun

1. the act of depressing.

2. the state of being depressed.

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

4. sadness; gloom; dejection.

   Synonyms: despondency, discouragement

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

6. dullness or inactivity, as of trade.

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

8. the Depression. Great Depression.

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

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

11. Surveying.,  angle of depression.

12. 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.

13. Meteorology.,  an area of low atmospheric pressure.

Depression

¹

/ dɪˈprɛʃən /

noun

1. Also known as: the Great Depression.  the Slump. the worldwide economic depression of the early 1930s, when there was mass unemployment

depression

²

/ dɪˈprɛʃən /

noun

1. the act of depressing or state of being depressed

2. a depressed or sunken place or area

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

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

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

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

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

depression

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

2. 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.

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

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

5. See also cyclone

depression

1. 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.

Other Word Forms

• antidepression adjective
• minidepression noun
• nondepression noun
• postdepression adjective
• predepression noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of depression¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Medieval Latin dēpressiōn- (stem of dēpressiō ), Late Latin: “a pressing down,” equivalent to Latin dēpress(us) + -iōn- noun suffix; depress, -ion

Example Sentences

We thought of this as normal aging, but poor sleep increases dementia risk, as well as the risk of obesity, diabetes and depression.

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The country is also already preparing for another storm, tropical depression Paolo, that is expected to make landfall in the northern Philippines this Friday.

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The researchers added: “There is a strong positive association of social isolation and loneliness with depression from youth to older adulthood. Further, higher social connectedness is protective towards depressive symptoms and disorders.”

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Studies show that as well as smartphones interfering with sleep, which can affect mental health, heavy use of social media is linked with loneliness, depression and anxiety.

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She shows how teen tech use correlates with soaring rates of depression and plunging levels of adequate sleep and in-person socializing.

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