doldrums

plural noun

dol·drums | \ ˈdōl-drəmz

, ˈdäl-, ˈdȯl-

Definition of doldrums

1 : a spell of listlessness or despondency fighting off the winter doldrums

2 often capitalized, oceanography : a part of the ocean near the equator abounding in calms (see calm entry 1 sense 1b), squalls, and light shifting winds

3 : a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or slump out of the economic doldrums

Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about doldrums

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Did You Know?

Everyone gets the doldrums - a feeling of low spirits and lack of energy - every once in a while. The doldrums experienced by sailors, however, are usually of a different variety. In the mid-19th century, the word once reserved for a feeling of despondency came to be applied to certain tropical regions of the ocean marked by the absence of strong winds. Sailing vessels, reliant on wind propulsion, struggled to make headway in these regions, leading to long, arduous journeys. The exact etymology of doldrums is not certain, though it is believed to be related to the Old English dol, meaning "foolish" - a history it shares with our adjective "dull."

Examples of doldrums in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What to do when the doldrums of midwinter stretch on and on (and on)? — Vogue, "Need a Read? Here Are 4 New Books We're Loving," 26 Feb. 2019 The fact that a company or industry has been in the doldrums is no reason to buy it, or for that matter to ignore it. — Spencer Jakab, WSJ, "Exxon’s Lost Decade Has Left It Cheap," 1 Feb. 2019 But both are still down on a price basis for the year, reflecting solid economic growth and tighter Federal Reserve policy that have begun to push interest rates out of their post-financial crisis doldrums. — Michael Wursthorn, WSJ, "No Refuge for Investors as 2018 Rout Sends Stocks, Bonds, Oil Lower," 25 Nov. 2018 The company also published two of Capcom's Mega Man sequels during that doldrums period. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "WarioWare Gold: A fine example of Nintendo’s weird “end of life” history," 3 Aug. 2018 Despite the Hong Kong dollar’s doldrums, few expect the city to drop the currency’s long-running dollar link. — Saumya Vaishampayan, WSJ, "The Weakest Link: Hong Kong Dollar Hits Trading-Band Floor," 12 Apr. 2018 When rules on margin borrowing were tightened in mid-2015—and everyone suddenly remembered that the real economy was still in the doldrums—most of those gains evaporated. — Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, "A Stock Market Crash With Chinese Characteristics," 9 July 2018 The team that charged ahead to 73 wins in the 2015-16 campaign, that won 67 games in Durant’s debut season en route to a 16-1 playoff run, couldn’t decide how to handle the doldrums of another long season. — Sam Amick, USA TODAY, "It's a dynasty: Warriors remain kings of NBA after sweep of Cavaliers," 8 June 2018 Tigers fans of a certain age might remember 2006, when the team unexpectedly emerged from the doldrums to win the AL pennant. — Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers embracing #RallyGoose, and it seems to be working," 31 May 2018

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