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 The man survived and no one was ever charged with a crime for the overdose, but Gillum withdrew from public life for months afterward while seeking treatment for alcohol abuse and depression. — Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 But a new treatment moving through the Food and Drug Administration clinical trials process may be key to treating, or even curing, depression and anxiety in postpartum people. — Camille Hoffman, The Conversation, 7 July 2026 The same flower toxic to a lamb was also a medicine for depression. — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 Last year, a study in the journal Psychological Medicine found that compared with irregular sleepers, people who kept consistent sleep schedules had a 38% lower risk of developing depression and a 33% lower risk of developing anxiety. — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 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
  • America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession.
    — The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
  • The Foundation attributes the stagnation in Millennial incomes directly to the timing of recession entry.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026
Definition of recession
Noun
  • Nonetheless, Simón stirs up the ineffable sadness that comes with wanting answers to the mysteries of your family — and then, like it or not, receiving them.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • There’s a frank sadness to nearly every scene, but also a tenderness and warmth between these two unlikely friends.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • Mozeliak said the Angels should not consider a trade proposal in isolation, without considering how to flex their major-market muscles to fill whatever hole a trade might create.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • The difference between these two measurements gives the exciton binding energy, a key quantity that determines how strongly the electron and hole remain bound together.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026
Definition of hole
Noun
  • Kuna residents would pay $20 more per $100,000 of property value in their taxes, while Nampa would see a decrease of $2 per $100,000, according to Nampa Fire Protection District Chief Kirk Carpenter.
    — Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 8 July 2026
  • While this natural decrease is not unique to Florida, its social, economic and demographic impacts may be more pronounced if the state is no longer a migrant magnet.
    — Karin Brewster, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Definition of decrease
Noun
  • Not bad considering his fight to find feel after missing most of last year with injuries and enduring a five-start slump from the end of May through the middle of June.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Gains in shares of chipmakers helped global markets bounce back from a slump at the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran this year.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 July 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
  • Weeks before the fire pit incident, Robinson alleges that during a trip to Nashville to visit her grandfather who was in hospice care and has since died, Sandoval pushed her to the floor of their hotel and locked her out of their shared room.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • High-rise handlebars, upright ergonomics, and generous suspension travel give them the look of pit bikes that somehow escaped onto public roads.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
Definition of pit
Noun
  • In Cañon City, Colorado, authorities are aiming for a 20% to 30% reduction in water use while asking residents to voluntarily conserve outdoor water consumption.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • Voltage reductions were also happening earlier in the day in parts of Staten Island, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Westchester, Con Edison spokesperson Jamie McShane told CNN.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of reduction

Browse Nearby Words

depressing
depression
depressions
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Cite this Entry

“Depression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depression. Accessed 12 Jul. 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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