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
1
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."
2
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 notesIn 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
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like depress.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Third person singular
- depresses
- Past tense
- depressed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The grey weather always seems to _____ him.
Etymology
From Old French depresser, from Latin deprimere, "to press down," from de- + premere, "to press."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for depress
See all rhymes for depress →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.
