depress

verb

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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

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Covid cases in China began to rise in early August, leading to lockdowns in several cities, threatening to depress factory operations and consumer confidence even further. — Stella Yifan Xie, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022 On Friday, the Disklavier piano was turned toward the audience, allowing viewers to watch for the moments when the Voyager software — running on a nearby computer — elected to depress the keys of the Disklavier. — New York Times, 22 Aug. 2022 Another tell tale sign is whether expectations of weaker demand bring the oil price down towards USD 75 per barrel, a shift that cosmetically would help to depress inflation. — Mike O'sullivan, Forbes, 11 June 2022 Gelsinger has warned shareholders that the spending spree will depress profit margins for several years. — oregonlive, 30 Mar. 2022 Last year, Desai filed an amicus brief on behalf of Democratic activist groups including Fair Fight Action, arguing that measures ending ballot harvesting were designed to depress voter turnout among minority communities. — Gregory Svirnovskiy, The Arizona Republic, 13 July 2022 Markets will have to adjust Zero percent interest rates depress government bond rates, essentially forcing investors to bet on riskier assets like stocks. — Matt Egan, CNN, 27 July 2022 Many economists and investors expect higher energy prices and supply disruptions stemming from the war to depress growth in Europe. — Caitlin Mccabe, WSJ, 20 May 2022 Congressional inaction, in particular, can frustrate and depress voter turnout, saidJohn Della Volpe, director of polling at Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. — Anumita Kaur, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2022 See More

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.