dumps

American  

[duhmps] / dʌmps /

noun

1. a depressed state of mind (usually preceded byin the ).

   to be in the dumps over money problems.

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dumps British  

/ dʌmps /

plural noun

1. informal a state of melancholy or depression (esp in the phrase down in the dumps )

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dumps Idioms  

1. see down in the dumps.

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Etymology

Origin of dumps

1515–25; compare German dumpf dull, Middle Dutch domp haze

Example Sentences

Shares of gold miners have been in the dumps this month, as investors have expressed fears over how the Iran war will tarnish the value of the precious metal.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

In retaliation for propaganda dumps, North Korea in 2024 sent scores of trash-filled balloons to scatter waste across the South.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

It is just one of 517 illegal dumps across England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of waste.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

One very exciting year later, all of that is back in the dumps.

From Slate • Jan. 24, 2026

My newest edible sidekick, Pierre the Pineapple, probably has a good two weeks of life before the flies come and Dad dumps him in the compost bin.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller