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

The book tells the story of Tate Donovan, a New York architect just released from a psychiatric facility after a depressive episode triggered by his sister’s death.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Each person completed a detailed questionnaire assessing depressive symptoms.

Read more on Science Daily

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.”

Read more on MarketWatch

He was diagnosed with a "drug induced psychosis or drug induced depressive psychosis".

Read more on BBC

We think that’s because when you are in a depressive state and you’re ruminating about negative thoughts and feelings, that’s actually robbing a lot of your attentional focus and your directed attention.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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