depressed; depressing; depresses
2
a
: 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
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
The two countries have yet to finalize a deal on steel imports — while broader U.S. steel tariff policy is keeping prices elevated stateside and depressed elsewhere.
—
Jenni Reid, CNBC, 30 June 2025
In fact, one of the depressing things about revisiting Liebling’s series is how little has changed, despite the city being a more vibrant place full of Chicago flag tattoos and T-shirts.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
De facto prostitution zones and pop-up brothels would depress real estate values and increase the strain on our overburdened city already grappling with affordability and quality-of-life issues.
—Sonia Ossorio, New York Daily News, 21 June 2025
Even though his tariffs largely spare the oil and gas industry, the effects of his larger trade war could further depress both oil prices and global demand for fossil fuels.
—Michael L. Ross, Foreign Affairs, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for depress
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Jenni Reid, CNBC, 30 June 2025
In fact, one of the depressing things about revisiting Liebling’s series is how little has changed, despite the city being a more vibrant place full of Chicago flag tattoos and T-shirts.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
De facto prostitution zones and pop-up brothels would depress real estate values and increase the strain on our overburdened city already grappling with affordability and quality-of-life issues.
—Sonia Ossorio, New York Daily News, 21 June 2025
Even though his tariffs largely spare the oil and gas industry, the effects of his larger trade war could further depress both oil prices and global demand for fossil fuels.
—Michael L. Ross, Foreign Affairs, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for depress
Cite this Entry
“Depress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depress. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
depress
verb
de·press
di-ˈpres 
1
a
: to press down
b
: to cause to sink to a lower position
2
: to lessen the activity or strength of
3
: sadden, discourage
4
: to lessen in price or value : depreciate
depressingly
adverb
-iŋ-lē
Medical Definition
depress
transitive verb
de·press
di-ˈpres
1
: to diminish the activity, strength, or yield of
able to depress irritability of the heart muscle by the use of such a drug as procaine
2
: to lower in spirit or mood
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