1
as in to oppress
to make sad
the thought of once again failing the bar exam depressed me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to throw
to cause to fall intentionally or unintentionally
construction workers depressed the roadbed in order to make way for an overpass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to reduce
to diminish the price or value of
the glut of wheat on the market has depressed that commodity for most of the past year
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to press
to push steadily against with some force
depressed the lever to start the machine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of depress
Modified in this way, the gun will continue firing as long as the shooter depresses the trigger and the gun has ammunition.
—
Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
Your negativity is depressing young people, and keeping them from having children and looking forward to the future.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
But that message carries a weird, even depressing undertone.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
The provisions of the SAVE America Act that add extra barriers to voting could further depress the turnout of disabled voters.
—Naomi Hess, Time, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for depress
Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
Your negativity is depressing young people, and keeping them from having children and looking forward to the future.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
But that message carries a weird, even depressing undertone.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
The provisions of the SAVE America Act that add extra barriers to voting could further depress the turnout of disabled voters.
—Naomi Hess, Time, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for depress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depress
Verb
-
Much of progressive ideological frameworks tend to divide the world into oppressors and oppressed.—
Arie Perliger,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
-
For 47 years, Iranians have been subject to a regime that seeks to divide them, isolate them, oppress them, torture them and dispose of them.—
Talla Mountjoy,
Twin Cities,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The person throwing the bowling ball might not have intended a specific victim to be killed, or even knowingly planned to kill someone, but nonetheless did something that was obviously likely to cause serious harm.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Jane tries to give it a bit of meta humor, milking laughs from throwing money at Juicy and doing little jazz hands.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Keep your focus inward, reduce noise, and protect your energy.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Avoid planting garlic near peas, beans, and asparagus, as garlic may compete with these vegetables for nutrients (particularly nitrogen), inhibit their growth, and reduce their yield.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After some recent iffiness in Bachelor Nation with the footage of Paul’s 2023 domestic-assault incident was leaked to press and her season of The Bachelorette was pulled, the entire franchise felt up in the air.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Brittin is something of an AI evangelist — a man who has had his nose pressed to the glass of leading-edge AI discoveries from the likes of Demis Hassabis, a fellow Brit who runs the hugely influential Google DeepMind.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Virginia’s Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, posted on X that she was deeply saddened and praying for the couple’s children and families.—
Michael Biesecker,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Having only been informed of their uncle’s passing, nearly 72 hours after it was reported to the media, The Krofft sisters, along with the rest of the company, are all saddened to hear about the passing of Sid Krofft.—
Carmel Dagan,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One count directed at Baldwin, alleging assault, was dropped.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2026
-
But Tampa Bay dropped Games 1 and 2 at home, putting it in a 2-0 hole, and was eliminated with a Game 5 loss in Tampa.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Clarke shoved O’Connor at least once.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Especially if the players in front of Oettinger insist on having the game shoved down every orifice of their body.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
King is especially distraught in the season finale after learning that she'll be deposed again in a lawsuit against the ER — a suit and deposition that has burdened the doctor all season.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Healey must think ratepayers – who are burdened with some of the highest energy costs in the country – are pretty stupid and simple minded.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Depress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depress. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
