depression
Americannoun
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the act of depressing.
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the state of being depressed.
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a depressed or sunken place or part; an area lower than the surrounding surface.
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- Synonyms:
- despondency, discouragement
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Psychiatry. a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason.
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dullness or inactivity, as of trade.
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Economics. a period during which business, employment, and stock-market values decline severely or remain at a very low level of activity.
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the Depression. Great Depression.
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Pathology. a low state of vital powers or functional activity.
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Astronomy. the angular distance of a celestial body below the horizon; negative altitude.
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Surveying. angle of depression.
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Physical Geography. an area completely or mostly surrounded by higher land, ordinarily having interior drainage and not conforming to the valley of a single stream.
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Meteorology. an area of low atmospheric pressure.
noun
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the act of depressing or state of being depressed
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a depressed or sunken place or area
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a mental disorder characterized by extreme gloom, feelings of inadequacy, and inability to concentrate
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pathol an abnormal lowering of the rate of any physiological activity or function, such as respiration
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an economic condition characterized by substantial and protracted unemployment, low output and investment, etc; slump
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Also called: cyclone. low. meteorol a large body of rotating and rising air below normal atmospheric pressure, which often brings rain
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(esp in surveying and astronomy) the angular distance of an object, celestial body, etc, below the horizontal plane through the point of observation Compare elevation
noun
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A geographic area, such as a sinkhole or basin, that is lower than its surroundings.
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A mood disorder characterized by an inability to experience pleasure, difficulty in concentrating, disturbance of sleep and appetite, and feelings of sadness, guilt, and helplessness.
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A reduction in the activity of a physiological process, such as respiration.
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A region of low atmospheric pressure. Low pressure systems result in precipitation, ranging from mild to severe in intensity.
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See also cyclone
Other Word Forms
- antidepression adjective
- minidepression noun
- nondepression noun
- postdepression adjective
- predepression noun
Etymology
Origin of depression
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Medieval Latin dēpressiōn- (stem of dēpressiō ), Late Latin: “a pressing down,” equivalent to Latin dēpress(us) + -iōn- noun suffix; depress, -ion
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.
Since becoming a mother, the author has dealt with intense depression.
My work stress has led to depression, anxiety, and skin disorders that I’ve been treating for years.
From MarketWatch
Mr. Smith attributes the long gap between books to the depression brought on by his divorce from his first wife and his subsequent return to school to become a psychotherapist.
She charges the apps left her with anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia — a pathologically distorted self-perception, most prevalent in girls, that a growing body of research has linked to social platforms.
From Los Angeles Times
Under cross examination, however, Kaley talked about feeling neglected, berated and picked on by family members, causing depression and anxiety that had nothing to do with social media.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
