depress

verb

de·press | \ di-ˈpres

, dē-\

depressed; depressing; depresses

Definition of depress

transitive verb

1 obsolete : repress, subjugate

2a : to press down depress a typewriter key

b : to cause to sink to a lower position

3 : to lessen the activity or strength of drugs that may depress the appetite

4 : sadden, discourage don't let the news depress you

5 : to decrease the market value or marketability of

Other Words from depress Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about depress

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Examples of depress in a Sentence

The news seemed to depress him a little. I don't mean to depress you, but there's no way we can win. We were all depressed by the loss. You shouldn't let this kind of problem depress you. These changes could depress the economy. Market conditions are likely to depress earnings in the next quarter. depressing the price of a stock Slowly depress the car's brake pedal. Depress the “shift” key on your keyboard. The doctor will depress your tongue and look at your throat.

Recent Examples on the Web

This has depressed demand for both equities and corporate bonds. — The Economist, "As its trade tussle with America heats up, China is on the back foot," 5 July 2018 Any reduction in sales to the No. 1 foreign customer for gas from the United States would increase a glut that has depressed prices in America over the last four years. — Clifford Krauss, New York Times, "‘Mexico First’ Campaign Could End Welcome for U.S. Oil Giants," 26 Apr. 2018 That temporarily depresses some shares, which then rebound in the weeks that follow. — Justin Lahart, WSJ, "Another Dose of New Year’s Cheer for Investors," 26 Jan. 2019 Vicary cites the constant, and often depressing, 24/7 news cycle as another factor. — Jessica Radloff, Glamour, "The Secret Formula Behind Hallmark's Christmas Movie Empire," 30 Nov. 2018 The subject matter is depressing, but the storytelling is addicting — like good, page-turning pulp. — Noel Murray, The Verge, "This weekend, stream some ‘Nordic noir’ on Netflix, starting with Deadwind," 9 Nov. 2018 If captivity can make wild animals anxious or depressed, freedom — or something approximating it — may be the best cure. — David Scharfenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "Are we making our pets crazy, too?," 13 July 2018 But that would depress economic growth and end the festivities for the real estate and construction industries. — New York Times, "Turkey’s Economy Is So Hot That It May Face a Meltdown," 10 July 2018 The view that immigrants take jobs from citizens or depress wages was a common one, but it was disputed by local business owners. — New York Times, "An ICE Raid Leaves an Iowa Town Divided Along Faith Lines," 3 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'depress.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.