depress

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verb de·press \di-ˈpres, dē-\

Definition of depress

transitive verb
1 obsolete : repress, subjugate
2a : to press down depress a typewriter keyb : 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

depressible

play \-ˈpre-sə-bəl\ adjective

See depress defined for English-language learners

See depress defined for kids

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 of depress from the Web

The buildup of alarming results has been depressing, Martel and Pasmans acknowledge.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "A fungus is attacking Europe’s most beloved salamander. It could wreak havoc if it gets to North America," 19 July 2017
But oyster beds were hit hard by the massive BP oil spill in 2010, crabs are under pressure from wetland loss, and cheap foreign imports have depressed local seafood prices.

— ellen wulfhorst, The Christian Science Monitor, "Rising water and insurance rates threaten Louisiana's Cajun culture," 5 July 2017
Wild bees are thought to be more vulnerable than honey bees to neonicotinoids; some earlier studies showed that exposed wild bees and bumble bees have depressed reproductive potential.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Controversial pesticides can decimate honey bees, large study finds," 29 June 2017
Other environmental problems, possibly several of them intertwined, appear to be keeping the population depressed, according to a NMFS recovery plan issued last year.

— yereth rosen, Alaska Dispatch News, "Is the Cook Inlet beluga population stable or in danger? Depends on whom you ask.," 29 June 2017
The lower prices also are depressing profits for energy companies.

— joe mcdonald, The Seattle Times, "Asian markets higher after Wall Street rebound," 25 June 2017
Sober but not annihilatingly depressing, To the Bone has an admirable frankness about its psychology while also managing to be entertaining, even charming.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "What’s New on Netflix in July," 22 June 2017
Sober but not annihilatingly depressing, To the Bone has an admirable frankness about its psychology while also managing to be entertaining, even charming.

— joanna robinson, VanityFair.com, "What’s New on Netflix in July," 22 June 2017
That means Republicans could ill afford to fall short on their health-care promise and risk depressing their own turnout.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Obama Begs Senate GOP Not to Hurt Millions Just to Spite Him," 22 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of depress

Middle English, from Middle French depresser, from Latin depressus, past participle of deprimere to press down, from de- + premere to press — more at press

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First Known Use: 14th century

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DEPRESS Defined for English Language Learners

depress

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verb

Definition of depress for English Language Learners

: to make (someone) feel sad : to make (someone) depressed
: to decrease the activity or strength of (something)
: to press (something) down

DEPRESS Defined for Kids

depress

play

verb de·press \di-ˈpres\

Definition of depress for Students

depressed

;

depressing

1 : to press down Depress the “enter” key.
2 : to make sad or discouraged Don't let the news depress you.
3 : to lessen the activity or strength of Bad weather had depressed sales.

Medical Dictionary

depress

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transitive verb de·press \di-ˈpres\

Medical Definition of depress

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