Dictionary

depress en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈpɹɛs/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English depressen, from Old French depresser, from Latin dēpressus, perfect participle of dēprimō (“to press down, to weigh down”), from dē- (“off, away, down, out”) + premō (“to press”).

Meanings

1. To press down.
   • Depress the upper lever to start the machine.
   • As to the fireman, the sight of him at work, swinging round with his shovelful of coal and at the same moment lightly depressing his right heel and so working the pedal which causes the steam-operated firedoors to open like magic in front of the shovel, was always a pleasure. 1947 January and February, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 39:
2. To make depressed, sad or bored.
   • Winter depresses me.
3. To cause a depression or a decrease in parts of the economy.
   • Lower productivity will eventually depress wages.
   • Russia claims the proportion of the grain that went to the very poorest countries was less than 4%, but this ignores the fact that even if wealthier countries were buying the wheat, the extra supply was depressing the general price all countries were paying. 2023 July 20, Patrick Wintour, “What was the Black Sea grain deal and why did it collapse?”, in The Guardian:
4. To bring down or humble; to abase (pride, etc.).
5. To reduce (an equation) in a lower degree.

Forms

Antonyms

cheer up

Deriveds

depressoid · depressable · depressor · depressogenic · depressed · depressant · depress the pole · overdepress · depressing · depressible · immunodepress · prodepressant · depressomotor · depression · depressive

Synonyms

depress · dispirit · get down · reduce · rue · defame · moan · humiliate · depress · deject · squash · discredit · forset · embase · degrade · downbear · grieven · whittle down to size · begloom · tristitiate · besorrow · bring down to size · trim down to size · repent · dishonour · demote · disgrace · bring down · oppress · knock down to size · upset · desolate · ungladden · demean · sadden · aggrieve · sink · come down on · sadden up · attrist · contristate · unhappy · begrieve · cut down to size · darken · put someone in their place · humiliate · engrieve · humble · abase · debase · downgrade · cut down to size · grieve · get down · put someone in their place · relegate · dash · disparage · slur · pain · deject · give a bad name

Translations (27)

ja 凹ませる (to make depressed, sad or bored) · fi ahdistaa (to make depressed, sad or bored) · mi whakapōuri (to make depressed, sad or bored) · bg натискам (to press down on) · bg гнетя (to make depressed, sad or bored) · ca deprimir (to make depressed, sad or bored) · sk stlačiť (to press down on) · fi masentaa (to make depressed, sad or bored) · fi laskea (to cause a depression or a decrease in parts of the economy) · he לחץ (to press down on) · es deprimir (to make depressed, sad or bored) · cs deprimovat (to make depressed, sad or bored) · pt pressionar (to press down on) · io depresar (to cause a depression or a decrease in parts of the economy) · fr appuyer (to press down on) · io depresar (to press down on) · pt deprimir (to make depressed, sad or bored) · io depresar (to make depressed, sad or bored) · sk deprimovať (to make depressed, sad or bored) · de deprimieren (to make depressed, sad or bored) · nl deprimeren (to make depressed, sad or bored) · fi alentaa (to cause a depression or a decrease in parts of the economy) · mi rāwakiwaki (to make depressed, sad or bored) · bg потискам (to make depressed, sad or bored) · fi painaa alas (to press down on) · he דיכא (to make depressed, sad or bored) · ja 凹ます (to make depressed, sad or bored)