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

Earlier this year, the BBC revealed that among hundreds of illegal dumps operating across England, at least 11 are so-called "supersites", containing more than 20,000 tonnes.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 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

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

From Slate • Jan. 24, 2026

Behind him, a woman dumps clothes from a black garbage bag into a washer.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson