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Synonyms

dumps

American  
[duhmps] / dʌmps /

noun

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

    to be in the dumps over money problems.


dumps British  
/ dʌmps /

plural noun

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

"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

dumps Idioms  

Etymology

Origin of dumps

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Welcome to this weekend’s edition of the Surge, a politics newsletter that, in light of the hantavirus outbreak, sadly will be canceling all of our future vacations to rat-infested garbage dumps.

From Slate • May 9, 2026

In “Our Perfect Storm,” childhood best friends Frankie and George go on a platonic honeymoon after Frankie’s fiancé dumps her at the start of their wedding weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Some strategists are particularly excited about technology stocks, which started the year in the dumps but have begun to climb back.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

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

The weather lady says it’s a lake-effect storm—the wind from Canada sucks up water from Lake Ontario, runs it through the freeze machine, and dumps it on Syracuse.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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