depression

noun

di-ˈpre-shən How to pronounce depression (audio)
Definition of depressionnext
1
as in recession
a period of decreased economic activity during the 1930s the U.S. suffered a great depression

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2
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits she called her friend to see if a sympathetic ear would relieve his depression

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3
as in hole
a sunken area forming a separate space the water generally collects in the patchwork of depressions in the city plaza

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4
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened a depression in the number of new homes being built

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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 depression Postpartum psychosis is a rare but serious medical emergency characterized by severe, rapid onset psychiatric episodes such as mania, depression or hallucinations in the days or weeks after birth. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 The Disney Channel alum struggled with depression while navigating a difficult relationship with her mother. — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026 Inside a Psilocybin Therapy Session Psilocybin has shown potential to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other psychiatric illnesses. — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026 People who received the insomnia treatment saw as much improvement in their depression symptoms as those who received depression treatment directly. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for depression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depression
  1. recession
  2. sadness
  3. hole
  4. decrease
  5. slump
  6. melancholy
  7. pit
  8. reduction
Noun
  • The value of this indicator was last illustrated in 2022, when two consecutive quarters of GDP contraction were originally reported, leading some to opine that the US was in a recession.
    — Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In fact, entering the economy during a recession, for example, will have decades of effects on young people.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of recession
Noun
  • Her sadness and traumatic experiences, such as the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing and the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller in 2018, have become intertwined with her career.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 31 July 2026
  • Compared to individual contributors, leaders were substantially more likely–by seven percentage points–to report experiencing a lot of stress, anger (+12 points), sadness (+11 points) and loneliness (+10 points) the previous day.
    — Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • The Airbnb is also equipped with a hot tub, a nine-hole disc golf course, and lots of board games, so there’s always something to do.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over cake, about 1-inch apart.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of hole
Noun
  • The company said that drastic decrease was the result of pre-acquisition adjustments to the value of intangible assets as well as restructuring costs.
    — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
  • That follows decreases from mid-year crime data for 2024 and 2023, which saw 1,194 and 1,304 incidents respectively.
    — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of decrease
Noun
  • Howard shook off a shooting slump to pour in a game-high 23 points on 5-of-9 shooting from three.
    — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The slump came after the company announced that Jeff Dean, its chief scientist, was departing the company, re-igniting worries about the loss of top talent.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of slump
Noun
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • Tens of thousands of gallons of fluid spilled from the open pit, urged on by heavy spring rains and unencumbered by an emergency pump disabled by a power failure.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • To perform the test, Mansfield says to lift the float inside the sump pit by hand or slowly pour water into the pit until the float rises.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of pit
Noun
  • This strategic reduction highlights growing competition from open-weight models, compelling proprietary AI providers to lower costs.
    — Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The century-old Colorado River Compact says upper basin states cannot cause a reduction in the river's flow to the lower basin.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduction

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depression
depressions
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Cite this Entry

“Depression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depression. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on depression

Nglish: Translation of depression for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about depression

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