depress
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make sad or gloomy; lower in spirits; deject; dispirit.
- Synonyms:
- sadden , discourage , dishearten
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to lower in force, vigor, activity, etc.; weaken; make dull.
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to lower in amount or value.
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to put into a lower position.
to depress the muzzle of a gun.
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to press down.
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Music. to lower in pitch.
verb
-
to lower in spirits; make gloomy; deject
-
to weaken or lower the force, vigour, or energy of
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to lower prices of (securities or a security market)
-
to press or push down
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to lower the pitch of (a musical sound)
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obsolete to suppress or subjugate
Related Words
See oppress.
Other Word Forms
- depressibility noun
- depressible adjective
- overdepress verb (used with object)
- undepressible adjective
Etymology
Origin of depress
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English depressen, from Anglo-French, Old French depresser, from Latin dēpressus “pressed down” (past participle of dēprimere, equivalent to de- de- + -primere, combining form of premere “to press”); pressure
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.
But I had inherited my father’s depressed DNA, and like him, I couldn’t recover.
From Salon
They point to depressed oil prices that mean the government can’t balance its budget or keep up with Vision 2030’s ballooning costs.
From Los Angeles Times
“Clearly Anta Sports is looking to capitalise on Puma’s depressed share price, striking while the iron’s hot at a time when the company’s shares are clearly in a vulnerable position,” Scholar wrote.
From MarketWatch
While some find annual celebrations wonderful, studies show that for many Americans, they can be stressful, isolating and depressing – especially in these divisive times.
From Salon
A stagnant housing market plagued by unaffordability has further depressed demand, as moving is a big reason why consumers spend on this category.
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.
