depressed

depressed — adjective

1. Feeling extremely sad for a period of time, with little belief that anything wil

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Feeling extremely sad for a period of time, with little belief that anything will get better.

Example

After losing his job, Hugo felt depressed for several months.

feel + depressed + for [period of time]

The dark winter weather made Reema feel even more depressed than usual.

Common collocations
  • feel depressed
  • look depressed
  • become depressed
  • get depressed
  • deeply depressed
  • clinically depressed
Synonyms
  • sad

    less intense and usually shorter in duration

  • unhappy

    more general; can refer to any feeling of displeasure

  • down

    informal; describes a temporary low mood

  • miserable

    emphasises physical discomfort and unhappiness together

Antonyms
  • happy

    feeling pleasure or contentment

  • cheerful

    actively bright and in good spirits

Grammar Patterns

depressed + about + noun/gerund

depressed + that-clause

Usage Note

In everyday conversation, depressed describes a deeper, longer-lasting sadness than upset or down. For a very brief bad mood, use sad or unhappy instead.

Common Mistakes

I felt depressed when I dropped my phone.
I felt upset when I dropped my phone.
Depressed is too strong for minor everyday problems.
She was depressing about the exam results.
She was depressed about the exam results.
Depressing describes the thing that causes sadness; depressed describes how a person feels.

2. Describing a place, industry, or economic situation where there is little busine

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

Describing a place, industry, or economic situation where there is little business activity, few jobs, and not enough money moving through the system.

Example

The depressed housing market meant that few people were buying new homes.

depressed + [economic noun] — housing market

Small shops struggled to survive in the depressed economy of the town.

Common collocations
  • depressed economy
  • depressed market
  • depressed area
  • depressed region
  • depressed industry
  • depressed sector
Synonyms
  • struggling

    softer and more general; can apply to businesses or people

  • weak

    describes low activity without the crisis tone of depressed

  • sluggish

    emphasises slow movement rather than overall crisis

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

depressed + [economic noun]

Usage Note

Subject is typically a geographical area (region, town), a sector (market, industry), or an economic indicator (sales, prices). Not used for personal finances — a person is not depressed in this sense.

Common Mistakes

The depressed student could not find a job.
The student struggled in a depressed job market.
Depressed describes the market, not the person in this sense.

3. Measuring or valued at a level that is clearly below what people normally expect

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

Measuring or valued at a level that is clearly below what people normally expect or consider standard.

Example

The price of oil remained depressed for the whole year.

remain + depressed — describing continuing low level

Doctors found that his blood pressure was dangerously depressed after the fall.

Common collocations
  • depressed prices
  • depressed levels
  • depressed values
  • depressed blood pressure
  • depressed sales
Synonyms
  • low

    simpler and more general; less technical

  • reduced

    emphasises a drop from a previous higher level

  • below normal

    explicitly compares to a standard

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

depressed + [measurement noun]

remain + depressed

stay + depressed

Usage Note

Common with measurements, prices, biological indicators (blood pressure, immune response), and performance metrics. The thing being measured is the subject — not the cause.

Common Mistakes

My exam scores were depressed.
My exam scores were lower than usual.
Depressed sounds unnatural for academic results; use 'lower' or 'below average.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe a lack of happiness, but they differ in intensity and duration. Sad is the most general and neutral — it covers everything from minor disappointments to deep grief. Unhappy is slightly more formal and often suggests dissatisfaction with a situation rather than an emotional state. Down is informal and implies a temporary mood that will likely pass soon. Miserable combines unhappiness with physical or emotional discomfort, often over a specific cause. Gloomy emphasises a pessimistic outlook on the future. Depressed sits at the stronger end: it suggests a deeper, longer-lasting state and is also the clinical term. For everyday use, saying 'I felt depressed about missing the bus' sounds exaggerated — save it for situations where the sadness is sustained and serious.

sad ↗unhappy ↗down ↗miserable ↗gloomy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • feel depressed about
  • become depressed over
  • depressed by the news

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Depressed comes from the Latin verb deprimere, which means 'to press down'. De- means 'down' and premere means 'to press'. The word passed through Old French as depresser before entering English. The original physical idea of being pressed down was extended to spirits and emotions in the 1600s, and later to economic conditions in the 1800s. The 'lower than normal' meaning for measurements came from the same physical metaphor.