down in the dumps

Cultural  

1. In a gloomy or depressed mood: “After losing the student election, Jack really felt down in the dumps.”

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down in the dumps Idioms  

1. Also, down in the mouth. Discouraged, depressed, or sad, as in She's been down in the dumps ever since she lost the match, or What's wrong with him? He's so down in the mouth about everything. The noun dumps has been used for “a state of depression” since the early 1500s, and down in the mouth, alluding to the downturned corners of the mouth as a sign of misery, dates from the mid-1600s.

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Example Sentences

There are also signs that hiring for other tech jobs, particularly in software engineering, aren’t down in the dumps.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Despite the lift on Friday, Ares stock has been down in the dumps, with the shares losing a quarter of their value in the last six months.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

He was really down in the dumps for a lot of his life and what he managed to do was really remarkable.

From Salon • Dec. 25, 2023

Mark Roberts took over Wrexham Lager in 2011 when it was "down in the dumps."

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2023

I’ve often been down in the dumps, but never desperate.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Related Words

• depressed
• dismal
• dour
• forlorn
• glum
• melancholy
• miserable
• pessimistic
• sad
• solemn
• sullen
• ugly