depression

UK: dɪˈpreʃən | US: dɪˈpreʃən

Definition

  1. n. a state of feeling sad or hopeless

  2. n. a severe economic downturn

  3. n. a sunken or hollowed area in a surface

Structure
de <down>press <push>ion <noun suffix>
Etymology

The word "depression" originates from Latin deprimere ("to press down"), combining de- (down) and premere (to press). The term evolved through Old French depression to describe both physical sinking (e.g., a hollow) and metaphorical lowering (e.g., emotional or economic decline). The medical sense emerged in the 19th century, reflecting the "weighing down" of mood.

Examples

  1. She sought therapy for chronic depression.

  2. The Great Depression devastated global economies in the 1930s.

  3. Rainwater pooled in the depression of the old stone path.

  4. Prolonged stress can lead to clinical depression.

  5. Geologists studied the depression formed by glacial activity.