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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Research actually shows that having depression can more than double your risk for dementia, so don’t minimize it, Tucker says. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 14 Oct. 2026 And sometimes people in deep depression cannot tell the difference between mental pain and physical pain, because everything together is a great kind of suffering. — Terry Gross, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026 But finding one’s nerve means fighting the everyday vagaries of low self-esteem, depression, self-deception, insecurity, loss, never-ending grief, and narcissists. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026 Strong, positive friendships are associated with lower risks of depression, anxiety, physical health symptoms and academic difficulties, Schacter says. — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 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 brief recession sparked by the Covid pandemic triggered another wave of funding cuts for colleges and universities.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Keynesianism gets a brain freeze John Maynard Keynes is basically the father of macroeconomics, the study of how the entire economy works, including what the government can do to fight recessions, boost employment, and control inflation.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of recession
Noun
  • There was a moment this week when tears of sadness gave way to elation for one California couple.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The local journalists who cover the Bend community every day were not immune from the grief and sadness after today’s deadly shooting of children at an elementary school.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • In the 1980s, when Parisian fashion was all power shoulders and cinched waists, a group of Japanese designers arrived with black clothes, asymmetry, holes and new silhouettes.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Residents enjoy a Jack Nicklaus Signature 18-hole golf course, miles of hiking and biking trails, tennis and pickleball courts, and endless opportunities on Lake Keowee, including boating, swimming, or simply quiet moments on the water.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of hole
Noun
  • Illinois saw a 15 percent uptick in live-action film and TV series shooting in-state but saw spending decrease in the quarter.
    — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The company reported net revenues of $865 million in the second quarter, a year-over-year decrease of about $65 million.
    — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of decrease
Noun
  • When healthy, Ohtani has the ability to break out of even the most dire of slumps with an otherworldly performance, like that three-homer (as a hitter), 10-strikeout (as a pitcher) all-timer.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In other words, even when people and businesses think ahead and act in their own interests, sticky prices can keep the economy stuck in a slump.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of slump
Noun
  • The vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • Not far from my home on the western shore of Lake Champlain lies the ore bed that in 1875 produced 10 percent of America’s iron ore; the #21 pit, once storied, stretches two hundred feet wide and three hundred feet deep.
    — Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • For the friend with a fireplace These all-natural firestarters are a chic alternative to the typical firestarter logs, and would make an excellent host gift for the friend who’s lucky enough to have a fireplace or outdoor fire pit.
    — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of pit
Noun
  • On winding roads, its model-specific suspension tuning and focus on weight reduction translate into exceptional body control at speed without becoming brittle or overly rigid in slower, more technical sections.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Yet their willingness to talk, listen, and imagine what had seemed impossible helped lay the groundwork for historic nuclear arms reductions.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduction

Browse Nearby Words

depressing
depression
depressions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Depression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depression. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on depression

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about depression

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bon vivant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All