depress

verb

de·​press di-ˈpres How to pronounce depress (audio)
dē-
depressed; depressing; depresses

transitive verb

1
obsolete : repress, subjugate
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
depressible adjective

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 practice is intended to protect people who buy shares in the IPO or just after by preventing a sudden deluge of stock sales that could depress the share price. Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 In 2021, Megan Mueller at Tufts University discovered that pet owners were twice as likely to report being depressed as those without pets. Sam Apple, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 February's number was also lifted in part by higher gas prices as well as higher auto sales and a rebound in building materials, which were depressed by severe weather in January. Anne D'innocenzio, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 Wages are depressed in part because many migrants are expected to work in lower-paying jobs, thus lowering the average salary. TIME, 8 Feb. 2024 Among other grievances: Cheap grain has flooded in from Ukraine after Russia blocked exports from the Black Sea, depressing the incomes of arable farmers in eastern Europe. Lyubov Pronina, Bloomberg.com, 8 Feb. 2024 Though the rule was meant as a kind of salary cap like those seen in professional sports leagues, the DOJ’s filing alleged that the rule would potentially depress player wages. Ash Parrish, The Verge, 20 Feb. 2024 Further, all the doubts and losses, especially the fate of buyers who prepaid for apartments that may never become available, has turned off millions of potential Chinese homebuyers, further depressing this once-important sector. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Nonetheless, experiences will come from all kinds of companies, and V.R. could agitate and depress people even more than the little screens on smartphones. Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of depress was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near depress

Cite this Entry

“Depress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depress. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

depress

verb
de·​press di-ˈpres How to pronounce depress (audio)
1
a
: to press down
b
: to cause to sink to a lower position
2
: to lessen the activity or strength of
3
4
: to lessen in price or value : depreciate
depressible adjective
depressingly
-iŋ-lē
adverb

Medical Definition

depress

transitive verb
de·​press di-ˈpres How to pronounce depress (audio)
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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