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 Wednesday advisory reported that the system, which was named Isaias, became a tropical storm with sustained winds of 40 mph after intensifying from a tropical depression. — Miami Herald Hurricane Bot, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026 One study found that 32% of teenagers show signs of moderate or severe depression, while an estimate from the Ukrainian mental health nonprofit Voices for Children says that 1 in 2 children in the country have symptoms of anxiety. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026 Your friend may show changes in their usual mood or mindset, such as sadness, depression, anxiety, self-doubt or low self-esteem. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety lead to 12 billion lost working days globally each year. — Stephen Sokoler, Forbes.com, 6 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
  • He was hired by Italy’s Agnelli family to run Fiat in 2004 when, due to previous mismanagement and the recession, few in the auto industry believed it could be saved.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The market is becoming more challenging, but that does not necessarily mean there is a recession.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of recession
Noun
  • Beat shows how so many of the sounds that were prevalent in the mid-’90s contained a unique, end-of-the century sadness.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • People can experience grief, sadness, relief, conflict or combinations of these emotions after any pregnancy outcome.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • The average user on both a sportsbook and prediction market loses money, and trying to claw back losses puts users in even deeper financial holes, experts warn.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Walker split a hole created by Trey Smith and Jaylon Moore on the right side of the line, never broke stride and sprinted 76 yards down the right side to set up the Chiefs’ go-ahead touchdown pass to Thornton in the fourth quarter.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of hole
Noun
  • The decreases come as the CTA boosted law enforcement on the system at the federal government’s behest, a move that threatened to withhold funding from the transit agency after last year’s Blue Line attack.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • If the amount of money provided by the state to school districts decreases because some children leave for private school, the legislature can adjust the Blueprint funding formula that ties funding to the number of students who attend a school.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of decrease
Noun
  • Exports have been a bright spot for China’s economy, which is otherwise struggling with slumping consumption and a years-long property market slump.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Hernández and Tucker both went through major slumps at the plate during the season.
    — Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of slump
Noun
  • 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
  • On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.
    — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors’ 4th District race pits outgoing State Board of Equalization member Ted Gaines against first-time candidate Gina Posey.
    — Haley Parsley October 2, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But none of those cowards should be in a pit lane in the foreseeable future.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of pit
Noun
  • Hinson said the bill’s reductions to Medicaid spending for Iowa will be offset by the Rural Health Transformation Program, which allots $50 billion divided among all 50 states over the next five years.
    — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Higher borrowing costs will eventually force a reduction in credit and spending, weighing on economic activity and potentially spilling over into equity markets, Dalio said.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on depression

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about depression

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