depresses; depressed; depressing
1
: to make (someone) feel sad : to make (someone) depressed
The news seemed to depress him a little.
I don't mean to depress you, but there's no way we can win.
We were all depressed by the loss.
You shouldn't let this kind of problem depress you.
2
: to decrease the activity or strength of (something)
This medicine may depress [=decrease] your appetite. [=it may make you less hungry]
These changes could depress the economy.
Market conditions are likely to depress earnings in the next quarter.
depressing the price of a stock
3
formal
: to press (something) down
Slowly depress the car's brake pedal.
Depress the "shift" key on your keyboard.
The doctor will depress your tongue and look at your throat.
Cite this Entry
“Depress.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/depress. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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