verb

depress

dih-PREHS

Depress (verb) means to make someone feel sad, low, or hopeless. Example: “The grey weather always seems to depress him.”

verb

To make someone feel sad, low, or hopeless.

"The grey weather always seems to depress him."

"Bad news about the layoffs depressed morale across the office."

To push something down, or to reduce activity or value (especially in an economy).

"Falling demand continued to depress prices throughout the year."

How to use depress

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo make someone feel low, or to push something down or make it weaker/smaller.

Common pairings

depress the market depress wages depress someone

Word forms

depressed past tense, depresses singular

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The grey weather always seems to _____ him.

Etymology

From Old French depresser, from Latin deprimere, "to press down," from de- + premere, "to press."

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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lower dismay deject get down dispirit cast down demoralize demoralise press down

Related words

down less lower increase upper reduce alarm decrease

Rhymes for depress

repress

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Frequently asked questions

What does “depress” mean?

The word “depress” means to make someone feel sad, low, or hopeless. In plain terms, to make someone feel low, or to push something down or make it weaker/smaller.

How do you pronounce “depress”?

“Depress” is pronounced dih-PREHS (/dɪˈpɹɛs/ in IPA).

How do you use “depress” in a sentence?

Here is “depress” used in a sentence: “The grey weather always seems to depress him.”

What part of speech is “depress”?

“Depress” is a verb.

Where does the word “depress” come from?

The word “depress” comes from Latin. From Old French depresser, from Latin deprimere, "to press down," from de- + premere, "to press.".

How many meanings does “depress” have?

“Depress” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make someone feel sad, low, or hopeless.

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