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

Trump has argued that the Fed, by keeping its benchmark rate in a range of 2.25% to 2.5%, is slowing economic growth and depressing the stock market. — Washington Post, "Trump says he will tap economists for 2 key Fed vacancies," 2 July 2019 In response, the WGA sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Assn. of Talent Agents on Friday, accusing agencies of collusion and anti-competitive behavior that has depressed writer compensation. — David Ng, latimes.com, "CAA becomes third agency to take Writers Guild to court," 1 July 2019 Reports on Michigan child welfare 'depressing,' says judge Also read: Audit blasts Michigan's Child Protective Services for failing kids The child-welfare system has been under court oversight for more than a decade. — Ed White, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan to pull plug on child-welfare computer system after 5 years of problems," 27 June 2019 But high rates also make borrowing more expensive for Turkish businesses and consumers, depressing sales of cars, discouraging new ventures and constraining economic activity in general. — Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, "For Erdogan, the Bill for Turkey’s Debt-Fueled Growth Comes Due," 24 June 2019 What’s depressing is that this paper towel EULA isn’t even new. — James Vincent, The Verge, "A paper towel dispenser with an end-user license agreement is a special kind of hell," 20 June 2019 With crude prices again depressed from rising U.S. supplies and weakening global demand from the U.S.-China trade war and other concerns, OPEC and Russia appeared on track to agree to an extension of the cuts. — Jordan Blum, Houston Chronicle, "Rystad: Uncertain OPEC should keep current cuts flat," 18 June 2019 Everything about his inquiry enrages and depresses me. — Belinda Luscombe, Marie Claire, "Your Partner's Annoying Habits Are Pushing You to the Edge—Here's How Not to Break Up," 21 May 2019 According to mountains of thinkpieces and concerned researchers, our screens are rendering us the very opposite of zen—increasing the risk of ADHD in children, making them more violent, and leaving us all distracted, twitchy, and depressed. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "What do we actually know about the risks of screen time and digital media?," 17 Oct. 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.