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Based partly on the Latin iacere, "to throw", dejection means literally "cast down"—that is, "downcast". Like melancholy, gloom, and even sadness, dejection seems to have been declining in use for many years; instead, we now seem to prefer depression (whose roots mean basically "a pressing down"). Since depression is also the word used by doctors, lots of people now assume that anyone depressed should be taking an antidepressant; if we went back to dejected and dejection, we might not be so quick to make that assumption.
Examples of dejection in a Sentence
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
After generations of thankless activism that brought more ridicule than results, and more dejection than hope, suddenly gays and lesbians have found themselves on the winning side of a string of court verdicts and legislative and ballot-box battles.
—Wayne Pacelle, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2015
All that positivity evaporated in the opening seconds on Saturday, with that hope being replaced by anger, recrimination and dejection.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
Just like that, an entire team’s optimism and energy turned into dejection and disbelief.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 19 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dejection
Cite this Entry
“Dejection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dejection. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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dejection
noun
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dejection
noun
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