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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Depression Definition, Usage & Key Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：profound sadness (depression)

depression 🔊

/dɪˈpreʃn/

A deep feeling of sadness that lasts a long time and makes it hard to enjoy life.

Depression illustration: person alone on park bench with falling leaves, conveying sadness.

profound sadness 🔊

➕

/prəˈfaʊnd ˈsædnəs/

A severe and persistent state of low mood and loss of interest, classified as a mental health disorder.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'deprimere' ('de-' meaning 'down' + 'premere' meaning 'press'), thus 'press down'.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a heavy weight pressing DOWN (de-) on your mood, creating a low point or 'depression'.

📖 Example

After his dog passed away, he fell into a deep depression and stopped going out with friends. 🔊 After the loss of his dog, he experienced profound sadness and withdrew from social activities.

🔗 Collocations

clinical depression – A formally diagnosed mental health condition

suffer from depression – To experience the symptoms of this condition

treat depression – To provide medical or therapeutic care for it

🔄 Synonyms

melancholy (n.) – A feeling of deep, thoughtful sadness

despondency (n.) – A state of low spirits caused by loss of hope

despair (n.) – The complete loss or absence of hope

🚫 Antonyms

elation (n.) – Great happiness and exhilaration

euphoria (n.) – A feeling of intense excitement and happiness

joy (n.) – A feeling of great pleasure and happiness

🌱 Derivatives

depressive (adj./n.) – Causing or relating to depression; a person suffering from depression

depress (v.) – To make someone feel utterly dispirited or dejected

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from the Latin 'deprimere', evolving through medieval Latin 'depressio'. It originally described a physical pressing down or hollow. Its modern psychological and economic senses developed later, reflecting a metaphorical 'low point'.

Meaning 2：severe economic downturn (depression)

depression 🔊

/dɪˈpreʃn/

A long period when a country's economy is very bad, with little business activity and high unemployment.

Economic depression scene: empty city street with closed shops and for rent signs.

severe economic downturn 🔊

➕

/sɪˈvɪr ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk ˈdaʊntɜːrn/

A prolonged period of significantly reduced economic activity, marked by falling GDP, high unemployment, and low confidence.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, many factories closed and millions lost their jobs. 🔊 In the 1930s, the major economic crisis led to widespread factory shutdowns and massive job losses.

🔗 Collocations

economic depression – A severe and long-lasting downturn in a nation's economy

slip into a depression – To enter a state of serious economic decline

post-depression recovery – The period of economic improvement following a depression

🔄 Synonyms

recession (n.) – A period of temporary economic decline

slump (n.) – A sudden severe or prolonged fall in economic activity

downturn (n.) – A decline in economic or business activity

🚫 Antonyms

boom (n.) – A period of great prosperity or rapid economic growth

expansion (n.) – The period of increase in economic activity