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
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of depressive
Vocabulary lists containing depressive
Psychological Conditions and Disorders
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Psychology
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
Bristol Crown Court also heard Glowka, who grew up in Poland before moving to the UK in the early 1990s, had a recurrent depressive disorder.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
"Each day, every month, I am having those depressive thoughts, I am having those anxieties around everything", she explained.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
“I try not to think about it too much, because I feel like then you spiral down to that depressive ‘What are we going to do?’ kind of state,” explained Aragon of the restrictions.
From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026
"From our data, there are three things you could do to try to maximize mental sharpness: getting enough sleep, avoiding burnout over long periods of time, and finding ways to reduce depressive traps," says Hutcherson.
From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026
It even attracted the young, depressive Franz Kafka, soon to be a great writer, now aimlessly wandering around Europe.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
