depress
B2Formal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
To make someone feel very unhappy and without hope; to press something down.
To reduce the value, activity, or strength of something (e.g., an economy, a market, a price).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The verb has two primary semantic fields: psychological/emotional state and economic/physical reduction. The psychological sense is more common in everyday language.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English in economic contexts (e.g., 'depress prices'), but the difference is marginal.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] depresses [NP] (e.g., The news depressed him.)[NP] is depressed by [NP] (e.g., He was depressed by the constant rain.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Depress the clutch (driving)”
- “Depress the accelerator”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe negative impacts on markets, sales, or economic indicators.
Academic
Common in psychology and economics literature.
Everyday
Primarily used to describe a negative effect on mood.
Technical
In engineering/physics, can mean to push a physical control down.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The wet weather can really depress your spirits.
- The new tax is likely to depress consumer spending.
American English
- The constant bad news depressed the whole team.
- An oversupply of oil will depress prices.
adverb
British English
- He spoke depressingly about the future of the industry.
American English
- The stock fell depressingly fast.
adjective
British English
- The depressed patient was referred to a specialist.
- They live in a economically depressed region.
American English
- She felt depressed after reading the report.
- The depressed housing market is starting to recover.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The grey sky makes me feel depressed.
- Depress the lever to start the machine.
- The sad film depressed me for the rest of the evening.
- High interest rates can depress the housing market.
- The company's poor performance depressed shareholder confidence.
- He was profoundly depressed by the loss of his old friend.
- The central bank's intervention was designed to prevent the crisis from further depressing economic activity.
- A meta-analysis of the studies found that social media use did not significantly depress adolescent well-being.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of DE-PRESS: to press DOWN (de-) on someone's mood or on a value.
Conceptual Metaphor
SAD IS DOWN (e.g., feeling low, depressed); WEAKNESS IS DOWN (e.g., depressed markets).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'press' (нажимать) alone. 'Depress' implies a negative, pressing-down force. The adjective 'depressed' (подавленный) is more common than the verb in Russian translations.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'depress' as a direct synonym for 'press' (e.g., 'Depress the doorbell' is unnatural). Overusing the verb in psychological contexts where 'upset' or 'sadden' is more natural.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'depress' used in a primarily physical, non-psychological way?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it has two main uses: for making someone sad and for reducing economic value or physical pressure.
'Depress' is about making sad or reducing value. 'Oppress' is about exercising cruel authority over people.
No. The correct form is the adjective: 'I feel depressed' or the verb in passive: 'I am depressed'.
It is neutral to formal. In casual conversation about feelings, 'get down' or 'upset' is more common.