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doldrums

[ dohl-druhmz, dol-, dawl- ]
/ ˈdoʊl drəmz, ˈdɒl-, ˈdɔl- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR doldrums

noun (used with a plural verb)

a state of inactivity or stagnation, as in business or art: August is a time of doldrums for many enterprises.
the doldrums,
  1. a belt of calms and light baffling winds north of the equator between the northern and southern trade winds in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
  2. the weather prevailing in this area.
a dull, listless, depressed mood; low spirits.

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Origin of doldrums

1795–1805; obsolete dold stupid (see dolt) + -rum(s) (plural) noun suffix (see tantrum)

Words nearby doldrums

Dolby, dolce, dolce far niente, Dolcelatte, dolce vita, doldrums, dole, dole bludger, dole cupboard, doleful, dolente
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to doldrums

gloom, stagnation, malaise, slump, stupor, letdown, torpor, blues, disinterest, bummer, dullness, downer, tedium, dejection, listlessness, yawn, boredom, inertia, funk, inactivity

Example sentences from the Web for doldrums

British Dictionary definitions for doldrums

doldrums
/ (ˈdɒldrəmz) /

noun the doldrums

a depressed or bored state of mind
a state of inactivity or stagnation
  1. a belt of light winds or calms along the equator
  2. the weather conditions experienced in this belt, formerly a hazard to sailing vessels

Word Origin for doldrums

C19: probably from Old English dol dull, influenced by tantrum
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for doldrums

doldrums
[ dōl′drəmz′ ]

A region of the globe found over the oceans near the equator in the intertropical convergence zone and having weather characterized variously by calm air, light winds, or squalls and thunderstorms. Hurricanes originate in this region.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with doldrums

doldrums

see in the doldrums.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.