depression

Plural: depressions

Noun

• a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity
• a long-term economic state characterized by unemployment and low prices and low levels of trade and investment
• a sunken or depressed geological formation
• sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy
• a period during the 1930s when there was a worldwide economic depression and mass unemployment
• an air mass of lower pressure; often brings precipitation
• a state of depression and anhedonia so severe as to require clinical intervention
• a concavity in a surface produced by pressing
• angular distance below the horizon (especially of a celestial object)
• pushing down
  • "depression of the space bar on the typewriter"
• A state of mind producing serious, long-term lowering of enjoyment of life or inability to visualize a happy future; any of several mental disorders with this state of mind as a central feature.
• A period of low morale or unhappiness (a period of experiencing the above-mentioned state of mind) which lasts longer than several weeks and may include ideation of self-inflicted injury or suicide.
• An area that is lower in topography than its surroundings.
• An area of lowered air pressure that generally brings moist weather, sometimes promoting hurricanes and tornadoes.
• A period of major economic contraction.
• Four consecutive quarters of negative, real GDP growth. See NBER.
• The act of lowering or pressing something down.
• A lowering, in particular a reduction in a particular biological variable or the function of an organ, in contrast to elevation.

Examples

• Depression of the lever starts the machine.
• I used to suffer from depression, but now I'm mostly content with my life.
• The Great Depression was the worst financial event in US history.

Synonyms

clinical depression, depressive disorder, economic crisis, Great Depression, impression, imprint, low, natural depression, slump, blueness, blues, crestfallenness, dejection, depression, despondency, distress, dolefulness, downheartedness, drearihead, forlornness, grief, heartsore, hopelessness, ill-being, infelicity, melancholia, melancholy, misery, mishappiness, mourn, prosternation, regret, rue, ruth, sadness, sorrow, sorrowfulness, tristfulness, undelight, unhappiness, woe, woefare, wretchedness

Antonyms

elation, natural elevation

Related Words

depress, depressant, depressed, depressing, depressive, downturn