doldrums

plural noun dol·drums \ ˈdōl-drəmz , ˈdäl- , ˈdȯl- \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

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 ¹calm 1b), squalls, and light shifting winds

3 : a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or slump

out of the economic doldrums

doldrums was our Word of the Day on 01/14/2010. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of doldrums from the Web

But there's one offensive move coach Stan Van Gundy plans to make to shake his club from its doldrums: Put the ball in Luke Kennard's hands more often.

— dana gauruder, Detroit Free Press, "Stan Van Gundy: Detroit Pistons to expand Luke Kennard's role," 20 Jan. 2018
And the economy, after years of doldrums, is finally showing signs of recovery, with growth projected by the IMF at 5.2% this year.

— yaroslav trofimov, WSJ, "In Sisi’s Second Term, Opening or More Repression?," 26 Apr. 2018
And not by accident, its stock, long in the doldrums, went on a tear as the New Microsoft emerged.

— kevin werbach, Philly.com, "When crises come, ethically challenged firms such as Uber are most vulnerable, Wharton prof says," 16 Apr. 2018
But the most underrated feature—and a huge helping-hand to vegetarians during the winter doldrums is that your Instant Pot can turn an intimidating squash, root, or tuber from rock-solid to approachable and sliceable.

— sarah jampel, Bon Appetit, "This Is the Most Underrated Instant Pot Feature," 22 Feb. 2018
Perhaps that will give fans a little bit of hope that the national team’s doldrums won’t last too long.

— jonathan tannenwald, Philly.com, "U.S. men's soccer team to play Bolivia at Talen Energy Stadium on Memorial Day," 15 Mar. 2018
Downtown Detroit was abuzz earlier this week as thousands of journalists and industry insiders checked out the car industry’s latest offerings at the North American International Auto Show – the perfect antidote to the doldrums of winter.

— joyce wiswell, Detroit Free Press, "Legal Eagles: The team behind the Auto Show," 19 Jan. 2018
With domestic demand for new nuclear technology in the doldrums, U.S. nuclear companies like the bankrupt Westinghouse Electric Co. have been seeking new markets abroad for their nuclear technology.

— james osborne, Houston Chronicle, "Perry to meet with Saudis in bid to market U.S. nuclear technology," 28 Feb. 2018
Milwaukee and Washington will face off on Monday with both teams seemingly experiencing boredom during the January doldrums.

— rohan nadkarni, SI.com, "Five Big NBA Storylines to Watch on Martin Luther King Day," 14 Jan. 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.

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."