Definition of doldrum
plural -s
1
doldrums plural
a
: a spell of listlessness or despondency : blues
b
: a state of bafflement : quandary
2
archaic
: a sluggish or slow-witted person
3
doldrums plural
a
: a region over the ocean near the equator abounding in calms, squalls, and light baffling winds
b
: the calms met with in that region
4
doldrums plural
: a condition of inactivity, retardation, or stagnation:
a
: a downswing, slump, or slack period (as in business or industry)
- through the economic doldrums of the late forties
- —Drew Middleton
- bring the antiques business out of the depression doldrums
- —Alice Winchester
b
: a deterioration to a low ebb of vigor, creative power, or effectiveness
- that American fiction is at present in the doldrums is borne out anew
- —Amy Loveman
