Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

in the doldrums

Idioms  

  1. Depressed; dull and listless. For example, Dean's in the doldrums for most of every winter. This expression alludes to the maritime doldrums, a belt of calms and light winds north of the equator in which sailing ships were often becalmed. [Early 1800s] Also see down in the dumps.

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.

Yet while consumer sentiment has been in the doldrums since 2020, it has inched even lower in the past 12 months.

From Barron's

That suggests that until the broader AI questions can be answered, or at the very least better understood, stocks will struggle can escape their current spell in the doldrums.

From Barron's

The property market is in the doldrums, the domestic stock market can be volatile, and interest rates at banks are low.

From The Wall Street Journal

The US order -- estimated at $6.1 billion according to media reports -- is a welcome boost for Finland, where unemployment is at a record high and the economy is in the doldrums.

From Barron's

Its economy in the doldrums, the 27-member EU is also pushing to ease exports of spirits and wines and strengthen intellectual property rules.

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.