depression

play

noun de·pres·sion \ di-ˈpre-shən , dē- \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of depression

1 a astronomy :the angular distance of a celestial object below the horizon

b mathematics :the size of an angle of depression

2 :an act of depressing or a state of being depressed: such as

a :a pressing down :lowering

a depression of the tab key

b (1) :a state of feeling sad :dejection

anger, anxiety, and depression

(2) :a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies

bouts of depression

suffering from clinical depression

c (1) :a reduction in activity, amount, quality, or force

a depression in trade

(2) biology :a lowering of physical or mental vitality or of functional activity

3 :a place or part that is lower than the surrounding area :a depressed place or part :hollow

The chicken pox left several depressions in her skin.

4 meteorology :⁴low 1b

a tropical depression

5 economics :a period of low general economic activity marked especially by rising levels of unemployment

heading towards a depression

periods of economic depression

See depression defined for English-language learners

See depression defined for kids

Examples of depression in a Sentence

She has been undergoing treatment for severe depression.
Many people suffer from clinical depression for years before being diagnosed.
After several years of an economic boom, it looks as though we may be heading toward a depression.
The photographs show depressions in the moon's surface.

Recent Examples of depression from the Web

Loneliness and isolation have been shown to have detrimental effects on health, leaving people more vulnerable to infection, cognitive decline and depression.

— tara bahrampour, Washington Post, "This is what happened when a lonely 90-year-old wrote a letter to a stranger," 30 Aug. 2017
Harvey is expected to track to the northeast and weaken to a depression by tonight.

— leigh morgan, AL.com, "Tropical Storm Harvey brings rain and risk of severe weather to Alabama," 30 Aug. 2017
A tropical wave making its way across the Atlantic will likely be designated a tropical depression or storm later this morning.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Atlantic storm expected to become tropical cyclone Wednesday morning," 30 Aug. 2017
Indeed, many studies have found that the long-term unemployed have at least twice the rate of depression and anxiety, as well as higher rates of heart attacks and strokes.

— olga khazan, The Atlantic, "Is Any Job Really Better Than No Job?," 25 Aug. 2017
Currently a tropical depression, Harvey was 460 miles (740 kilometers) southeast of Port Mansfield, Texas, with top winds of 35 miles per hour, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. advisory.

— brian k sullivan, Bloomberg.com, "Harvey Could Be First Hurricane to Strike Texas Since 2008," 23 Aug. 2017
Delivered over Facebook Messenger, Woebot teaches users cognitive behavioral therapy skills, such as exercises that people can do to combat negative thinking and ways to manage mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

— tracey lien, latimes.com, "Depressed but can't see a therapist? This chatbot could help," 23 Aug. 2017
The Civic’s center console held hundreds more ping-pong balls than both of the competitors tested here, and even has a shallow depression that perfectly cradles a one-liter water bottle, something that struggles to find shelter in most vehicles.

— alex conley, Car and Driver, "2017 Honda Civic Si," 13 Aug. 2017
For example, while men exhibit a higher risk for ADHD, women receive diagnoses of Alzheimer's, depression and anxiety disorders more frequently.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "Science Says Women Have a More Active Brain, Compared to Men," 8 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'depression.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of depression

see depress

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

depression Synonyms

Synonyms

recession, slump

Antonyms

boom

Related Words

bust, crash, panic; stagnation; downbeat, downdraft, downswing, downtrend, downturn, slowdown

Near Antonyms

development, growth; advancement, progress; rally, recovery

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

Financial Definition of DEPRESSION

depression

noun

What It Is

A depression is a sustained downturn in economic activity characterized by high unemployment, decreased output and reduced levels of trade.

How It Works

Low levels of consumer confidence during times of depression generally result in a severe drop in consumer demand and spending. This leads companies to cut costs by reducing their workforces, resulting in high unemployment and even lower consumer confidence and spending. Prices and wages spiral downward, causing more turmoil.

The Great Depression of the 1930s is the best example of the far-reaching economic and social impact a depression can have.

Why It Matters

A depression can have devastating social and economic effects. It is generally accepted that dramatic government intervention is required in order to move an economy from depression to recovery.

Source: Investing Answers

DEPRESSION Defined for English Language Learners

depression

play

noun

Definition of depression for English Language Learners

: a state of feeling sad
: a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and often is unable to live in a normal way
: a period of time in which there is little economic activity and many people do not have jobs

DEPRESSION Defined for Kids

depression

play

noun de·pres·sion \ di-ˈpre-shən \

Definition of depression for Students

1 :an act of pressing down

depression of the brake pedal

2 :a hollow place or part

My foot made a depression in the sand.

3 :a feeling of sadness

Your support eased my depression.

4 :a period of low activity in business with much unemployment

Medical Dictionary

depression

play

noun de·pres·sion \ di-ˈpresh-ən \

medical Definition of depression

1 :a displacement downward or inward

depression of the jaw

2 :an act of depressing or a state of being depressed: as

a (1) :a state of feeling sad

(2) :a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide

b :a reduction in functional activity, amount, quality, or force