depressed; depressing; depresses
2
a
: to press down
depress a typewriter key
b
: to cause to sink to a lower position
3
: to lessen the activity or strength of
drugs that may depress the appetite
4
: sadden, discourage
don't let the news depress you
5
: to decrease the market value or marketability of
Synonyms
Examples of depress in a Sentence
The news seemed to depress him a little.
I don't mean to depress you, but there's no way we can win.
We were all depressed by the loss.
You shouldn't let this kind of problem depress you.
These changes could depress the economy.
Market conditions are likely to depress earnings in the next quarter.
depressing the price of a stock
Slowly depress the car's brake pedal.
Depress the “shift” key on your keyboard.
The doctor will depress your tongue and look at your throat.
Recent Examples on the Web
This reality can be depressing for Blanchard, who is preparing for possible protesters at a book-signing event in New Orleans later this month.
—
Timothy Bella, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2024
Thuringia’s emerging industries were depressed after World War I, and the parties of the ruling Weimar Republic were constantly fighting among themselves.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024
In fact, a 2016 study found that children who grow up with greater emotional closeness to their grandparents are less likely to be depressed as adults.3
Grandparents who form emotional bonds early in their grandchildren’s lives often find that these connections last over time.
—Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 20 Nov. 2024
In 1939, Thanksgiving fell on the last day of the month, and retailers worried that a late start to the Christmas-shopping season would depress sales.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for depress 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Timothy Bella, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2024
Thuringia’s emerging industries were depressed after World War I, and the parties of the ruling Weimar Republic were constantly fighting among themselves.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024
In fact, a 2016 study found that children who grow up with greater emotional closeness to their grandparents are less likely to be depressed as adults.3
Grandparents who form emotional bonds early in their grandchildren’s lives often find that these connections last over time.
—Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 20 Nov. 2024
In 1939, Thanksgiving fell on the last day of the month, and retailers worried that a late start to the Christmas-shopping season would depress sales.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for depress
Dictionary Entries Near depress
Cite this Entry
“Depress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depress. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
depress
verb
de·press
di-ˈpres 
1
a
: to press down
b
: to cause to sink to a lower position
2
: to lessen the activity or strength of
3
: sadden, discourage
4
: to lessen in price or value : depreciate
depressingly
adverb
-iŋ-lē
Medical Definition
depress
transitive verb
de·press
di-ˈpres
1
: to diminish the activity, strength, or yield of
able to depress irritability of the heart muscle by the use of such a drug as procaine
2
: to lower in spirit or mood
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share