1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the depressing atmosphere of the empty mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
causing unhappiness
more depressing news about the famine overseas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in saddening
to make sad
the thought of once again failing the bar exam depressed me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in throwing
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 reducing
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 pressing
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 depressing
Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
In the story, there is a lot of comedy that naturally arises from tragic moments, from dark, depressing moments.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 10 Jan. 2026
Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2025
Shelton Weeks, director of the Lucas Institute for Real Estate Development and Finance at Florida Gulf Coast University, says high insurance costs appear to be depressing home values in the area.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for depressing
Adjective
Just as Skydance’s best chance at survival was to swallow Paramount, the depressing logic of Hollywood in its consolidation era was that Paramount itself might need to get bigger to keep up with Netflix and Amazon and even YouTube.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
In the story, there is a lot of comedy that naturally arises from tragic moments, from dark, depressing moments.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
One possible explanation is that tariffs create uncertainty that hits consumers’ and investors’ confidence, depressing economic activity and putting downward pressure on inflation, according to the study.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2025
Shelton Weeks, director of the Lucas Institute for Real Estate Development and Finance at Florida Gulf Coast University, says high insurance costs appear to be depressing home values in the area.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for depressing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depressing
Adjective
-
Tautly written, this first novel by a former criminal lawyer who spent 17 years in the Arctic is a hard look at the desolate lives of people resigned to life in the bleak far north.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Both Bird and Clausen play this mounting nightmare with the appropriate ache and desperation, elevating the emotional tenor of Chiarella’s sad, frequently bleak film.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Grifters can be analyzed by affect (jolly, cold, angry, greedy, sad) and/or by gender.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
-
There are no more smiles and no more hand-holding, only two sad adults.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The news was saddening for Jewell — but also alarming for the defense.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
After throwing for just 241 total yards in wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State to start Miami’s postseason journey, Beck completed 23 of 37 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns with one interception and had the game-clinching rushing touchdown.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This happened after a number of protesters began throwing snowballs at federal vehicles on the scene.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Oatmeal specifically touts many benefits, including being a valuable source of numerous vitamins, antioxidants and fiber; moreover, studies indicate that the biochemical composition of the grain can help improve the gut microbiome in addition to reducing blood glucose levels as well.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
But since then, SpaceX too has worked on reducing the brightness of its satellites.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In all, the number of alarm events has jumped 197% over the past 20 years, leading to a cacophony of alerts where watch-keeping officers are pressing the Acknowledge button at a rate of over once a minute instead of handling actual situations.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 2026
-
As the youngster still isn’t close to adult age at 16, however, and has just renewed his contract with the Sao Paulo giants until 2029, there is no pressing need to sign one of the standout performers in the Copinha youth tournament that showcases Brazil’s best budding talents.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Don’t mistake the depressive air for his own.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
The Austin, Texas, native is winding down work on the campaign trail for Blue Moon, directed by his longtime collaborator Richard Linklater and featuring his most transformative performance on screen, as the alcoholic depressive songwriter Lorenz Hart.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Marche feared that ChatGPT-3 meant the end of freshman composition papers, but that’s a pathetic and moribund genre anyhow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
-
While having a decent enough defense, the offense was pathetic.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Depressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depressing. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
