de·pres·sive
di-ˈpre-siv 
dē-
1
: tending to depress
2
: of, relating to, marked by, or affected by psychological depression
depressive symptoms
a depressive patient
depressively
adverb
: one who is affected with or prone to psychological depression
Synonyms of depressive
Examples of depressive in a Sentence
Adjective
the depressive story about a struggling artist
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026
An acute spike in IL-6 following heat exposure appears to correlate with how much depressive symptoms improve.
—Will Stone, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 12 Feb. 2026
Some had heart attacks or suffered depressive and anxiety disorders.
—Arianna Huffington, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for depressive
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Adjective
Alcohol can make depressive symptoms even worse.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026
An acute spike in IL-6 following heat exposure appears to correlate with how much depressive symptoms improve.
—Will Stone, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
Readers, especially all of us depressives, felt close to her.
—Literary Hub, 12 Feb. 2026
Some had heart attacks or suffered depressive and anxiety disorders.
—Arianna Huffington, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for depressive
Cite this Entry
“Depressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depressive. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
depressive
1 of 2 adjective
de·pres·sive
di-ˈpres-iv
1
: tending to depress
2
: of, relating to, marked by, or affected by psychological depression
the patient was paranoid and depressive
depressive symptoms
depressive
2 of 2 noun
: one who is affected with or prone to psychological depression
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