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

See Examples For:

down in the dumps

Also: How to use options around earnings to trade Nike’s stock, which has been down in the dumps for years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 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

"Lauren has had an ear infection, she looked so down in the dumps at our pre-match meal," City defender Esme Morgan said after the game.

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2023

I thought about how she’d been really quiet lately, like she was down in the dumps.

From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea

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Related Words

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

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