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Depressing: meaning, definitions and examples

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depressing

 

[ dɪˈprɛsɪŋ ]

Adjective / Verb
Oxford 3000
Context #1 | Adjective

feeling or atmosphere

Causing feelings of sadness and hopelessness; dejecting. Provoking a state of low spirits; disheartening. Characterized by a lack of happiness or pleasure; gloomy.

Synonyms

dismal, gloomy, miserable, sad, sorrowful

Examples of usage

  • The news of the tragedy was very depressing.
  • The gray skies and rain made the day feel even more depressing.
  • The movie had a depressing ending that left the audience in tears.
Context #2 | Verb

press down

Press down on something with steady force. Lower the value or level of something.

Synonyms

devalue, lower, push down, reduce

Examples of usage

  • She was depressing the keys on the piano with emotion.
  • The economic crisis is depressing the value of the currency.

Translations

Translations of the word "depressing" in other languages:

🇵🇹 deprimente

🇮🇳 उदास

🇩🇪 deprimierend

🇮🇩 menyedihkan

🇺🇦 пригнічуючий

🇵🇱 przygnębiający

🇯🇵 憂鬱な

🇫🇷 déprimant

🇪🇸 deprimente

🇹🇷 depresif

🇰🇷 우울한

🇸🇦 محبط

🇨🇿 depresivní

🇸🇰 depresívny

🇨🇳 令人沮丧的

🇸🇮 depresiven

🇮🇸 þunglyndislegur

🇰🇿 көңілсіз

🇬🇪 დეპრესიული

🇦🇿 depressiv

🇲🇽 deprimente

Etymology

The word 'depressing' originates from the verb 'depress', which comes from the Latin word 'deprimere', meaning 'press down'. Over time, 'depress' evolved to also include the metaphorical sense of causing someone to feel sad or disheartened. The adjective 'depressing' emerged in the 17th century to describe something that brings about feelings of sadness or hopelessness. It has been used in literature, psychology, and everyday language to convey a sense of gloom or melancholy.

See also: depressed, depressingly, depression, depressiveness.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #11,644, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.