depress

Everyday

1. To depress someone is to make them feel very sad and without hope. tree →
2. (formal) To depress a button, key or pedal is to press it down. tree →
3. (money) To depress prices, trade or wages is to make them lower or less active. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday talk, «the rainy weather depresses me» means it makes me feel low. In instructions: «depress the brake pedal». In economics and news, a bad year depresses sales. Adjectives: depressed (feeling very low; also, an illness called depression that needs care) and depressing (making you sad).

Examples

• Grey, rainy days depress me. tree →
• Depress the button to start the machine. tree →
• The bad news depressed the whole team. tree →
• The driver depressed the clutch. tree →
• The storm depressed sales at the seaside shops. tree →
• Losing every game started to depress him. tree →

Note

Regular verb. Nouns: depression, depressant. Depression is a real illness, not just feeling a bit sad; if someone feels hopeless for a long time, they should talk to a trusted adult or doctor.