depressive

[dih-pres-iv]

adjective

1. tending to cause depression.

   depressive environmental factors.

2. characterized by depression, especially mental depression.

noun

1. a person having or affected with a depressive illness.

depressive

/ dɪˈprɛsɪv /

adjective

1. tending to depress; causing depression

2. psychol tending to be subject to periods of depression See also manic-depressive

Other Word Forms

• depressively adverb
• depressiveness noun
• nondepressive adjective
• nondepressively adverb
• overdepressive adjective
• overdepressively adverb
• overdepressiveness noun
• postdepressive adjective
• undepressive adjective
• undepressively adverb
• undepressiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of depressive¹

First recorded in 1610–20; depress + -ive

Example Sentences

“You have depression in your family, your father in particular. I’d classify you as a depressive. It’s in your best interests to continue on the medication.”

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Because healthy communication between brain cells is essential for regulating emotions, the researchers focused their work on the hippocampus, a region involved in memory, stress responses, and the development of depressive symptoms.

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Her lawyers had argued she was not guilty by reason of insanity and that the death of her husband in 2017 sent her into a depressive spiral.

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He says that he has suffered from major depressive order and use of alcohol.

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"I know for some people the initial effects can be the munchies or laughing, but I'd much rather have that than the depressive, possibly sleepy, side effects of opiates."

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Related Words

• bleak 
• boring 
• colorless 
• damp 
• depressing 
• dingy 
• dismal 
• drab 
• dull 
• forlorn 
• humdrum 
• lonely 
• monotonous 
• sad 
• somber 
• tedious 
• uneventful 
• uninteresting 
• windy 
• wintry