de·pres·sive
di-ˈpre-siv 
dē-
1
: tending to depress
2
: of, relating to, marked by, or affected by psychological depression
depressive symptoms
a depressive patient
depressively
adverb
: one who is affected with or prone to psychological depression
Examples of depressive in a Sentence
Adjective
the depressive story about a struggling artist
Recent Examples on the Web
Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Feb. 2025
Tragically, they are killed by their mother, who drowns them in a manic depressive episode while their father is away on business.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Maxim Loskutoff, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Rankin has cast himself as the outsider, the solitary depressive and the only Caucasian main role.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for depressive
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Adjective
Researchers were surprised that the decrease in depressive symptoms was on par or even more significant than the reductions documented in studies of people taking antidepressant medications.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Feb. 2025
Tragically, they are killed by their mother, who drowns them in a manic depressive episode while their father is away on business.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
Garrett is lost in guilt over the accidental death of a friend, and suffers from dreamlike depressive episodes.
—Maxim Loskutoff, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Rankin has cast himself as the outsider, the solitary depressive and the only Caucasian main role.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for depressive
Cite this Entry
“Depressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depressive. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
depressive
1 of 2 adjective
de·pres·sive
di-ˈpres-iv
1
: tending to depress
2
: of, relating to, marked by, or affected by psychological depression
the patient was paranoid and depressive
depressive symptoms
depressive
2 of 2 noun
: one who is affected with or prone to psychological depression
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