doldrum

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 :  a period of sagging or falling off (as in sales or financial or political activity) 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