depressed

adjective

de·​pressed di-ˈprest How to pronounce depressed (audio)
dē-
1
: low in spirits : sad
especially : affected by psychological depression
2
a
: vertically flattened
a depressed cactus
b
: having the central part lower than the margin
c
: lying flat or prostrate
d
: dorsoventrally flattened
3
: suffering from economic depression
especially : underprivileged
4
: being below the standard

Examples of depressed in a Sentence

The rainy weather had her feeling lonely and depressed. He was depressed about having to return to school. The new drug is being tested on a group of severely depressed patients. living in a depressed area The patient has a somewhat depressed appetite. Prices have remained at a depressed level.
Recent Examples on the Web Participants also felt significantly less depressed, stressed and fatigued after interacting with the poodle. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Nearly 1 in 5 kids – 19.9% – felt depressed in the 30 days prior to the survey, and more than 1 in 4 felt isolated. The Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2024 Diary of a Muslim Cynic, which tells the story of a woman desperate to escape her Midwest small-town life after a tragedy; a depressed teen’s pursuits of love and big-city dreams are upended by the ghosts of her past and mystical encounters. Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2024 Measles can cause serious illness, especially in young children, pregnant women and people with depressed immune systems. Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 Exercising may be the last thing on a depressed person’s mind, though. Jordyn Bradley, Fortune Well, 15 Feb. 2024 Liza Likins, who sang backup for such music icons as Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt, was lonely and depressed after her husband, Greg, died in 2020. USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 The San Francisco 49ers lose the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs and Warner is depressed. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 10 Feb. 2024 Consumer spending contracted, while the shortfall in home buying depressed property values and in doing so eroded the net worth of all Chinese homeowners, further stifling confidence and consumer spending. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'depressed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of depressed was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near depressed

Cite this Entry

“Depressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depressed. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

depressed

adjective
de·​pressed
1
a
: low in spirits : sad
b
: suffering from mental depression
2
: suffering from economic depression

Medical Definition

depressed

adjective
de·​pressed di-ˈprest How to pronounce depressed (audio)
1
: low in spirits
specifically : affected by psychological depression
a severely depressed patient
2
a
: having the central part lower than the margin
a depressed pustule
b
: dorsoventrally flattened
the tapeworm is a depressed animalR. A. Wardle & J. A. McLeod

More from Merriam-Webster on depressed

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