dejection
C2formal
Definition
Meaning
A state of low spirits or sadness; despondency.
A feeling of being emotionally cast down or dispirited, often accompanied by lethargy, stemming from disappointment, failure, or loss.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers to a state, not an instantaneous emotion. Implies a temporary but settled sadness, often with a physical component (drooping posture).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage.
Connotations
Slightly more literary or formal in both varieties.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech in both regions; more common in written texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[subject] felt dejection after [event]A [feeling/state] of dejection [verb phrase]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Pose like a figure of dejection”
- “A dejection of the spirit”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might be used in a formal report to describe team morale after a major setback.
Academic
Used in psychology, literature, and history to describe emotional states of individuals or groups.
Everyday
Uncommon in casual conversation. Might be used self-consciously to describe a pronounced low mood.
Technical
Not a technical term, though used descriptively in psychological case studies.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The news did deject him profoundly.
- (Archaic) Failures deject the spirit.
American English
- The team was dejected by the loss.
- (Archaic) Such criticism would deject anyone.
adverb
British English
- He shook his head dejectedly.
- She sighed dejectedly and closed the book.
American English
- He walked away dejectedly.
- She slumped dejectedly in her chair.
adjective
British English
- He sat in a dejected slump by the window.
- Her dejected expression told the whole story.
American English
- The dejected players left the field.
- A dejected look came over his face.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He felt sad after losing the game.
- After failing the exam, she was very disappointed and quiet.
- His team's defeat left him in a state of profound dejection for days.
- The initial wave of dejection following the project's cancellation gradually gave way to a determination to start anew.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'dejection' as being *dejected* or 'thrown down' in spirit, like a rejected object.
Conceptual Metaphor
SADNESS IS BEING DOWN/LOW ("He was cast down into dejection").
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not directly equivalent to "подавленность," which can be milder. "Депрессия" is often too clinical. Closer to "уныние."
- Avoid confusing with "отвержение" (rejection), which is the act, not the emotional result.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to describe mild disappointment (overuse).
- Misspelling as "dejuction" or "dejecktion."
- Using it as a verb (the verb is 'deject', but it's very rare and archaic).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the closest antonym of 'dejection'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Dejection' is a temporary state of low spirits, often with a clear cause. 'Depression' is a longer-lasting, often clinical condition that may lack an obvious external trigger.
It is not a formal medical diagnosis. It is a descriptive term for an emotional state, sometimes used in psychological or literary descriptions.
No, the verb 'deject' is now rare and considered archaic or stilted. The adjective 'dejected' and the noun 'dejection' are the standard forms.
"A sense of dejection" and "feeling of dejection" are among the most frequent collocations.