depressive
Americanadjective
-
tending to cause depression.
depressive environmental factors.
-
characterized by depression, especially mental depression.
noun
adjective
-
tending to depress; causing depression
-
psychol tending to be subject to periods of depression See also manic-depressive
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of depressive
Vocabulary lists containing depressive
Psychological Conditions and Disorders
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Psychology
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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.
Navy Blue emerged from a depressive bout circa 2015, his freshman year of college.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
Clancy was clinically diagnosed with major depressive disorder by multiple professionals: McLean Hospital psychiatrist Dr. Alia Goodheart, outpatient psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Tufts and prosecution expert Dr. Avram Mack.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
The study, "Dysregulated adult hippocampal neurogenesis in major depressive disorders," was published Aug. 21, 2026, in Nature Medicine.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
It is also alleged that Rees suffered psychiatric injury "diagnosed... as a depressive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder".
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The added depressive effect of the organic phosphate may then be enough to precipitate acute symptoms.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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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.