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

"Morale is down in the dumps," Bastien Brusaferro of the general winegrowers' union told France Info.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2025

“Nobody is down in the dumps or anything.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 24, 2023

“Right now I know he’s down in the dumps, but he’ll be all right,” Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2023

So, to sum it up: If you're feeling down in the dumps as you peruse this story, perhaps set a plan of action for dinner.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2022

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