depress
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make sad or gloomy; lower in spirits; deject; dispirit.
- Synonyms:
- sadden, discourage, dishearten
-
to lower in force, vigor, activity, etc.; weaken; make dull.
-
to lower in amount or value.
-
to put into a lower position.
to depress the muzzle of a gun.
-
to press down.
-
Music. to lower in pitch.
verb
-
to lower in spirits; make gloomy; deject
-
to weaken or lower the force, vigour, or energy of
-
to lower prices of (securities or a security market)
-
to press or push down
-
to lower the pitch of (a musical sound)
-
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.
In turn, he anticipates that higher-for-longer interest rates would depress the price of gold.
From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026
Early estimates point to another healthy rate of growth, but the record 43-day shutdown in October and November could depress the final result.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 22, 2026
She worries that if a company ends up hiring a worker on a lower wage, the practice will depress wages for everyone.
From Slate • Jan. 20, 2026
In the unlikely event it did open up significant additional production, the addition to world supply would depress oil prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026
I push on the latch, but it won’t depress at all.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
