Feeling Blue: Meaning, Examples & Usage

Meaning 1：feel sad (Feeling blue)

Feeling blue 🔊

/ˈfiːlɪŋ bluː/

phr

Feeling sad or low in spirits, often for no specific reason.

Person feeling blue looking out rainy window sad expression

feel sad 🔊

➕

/fiːl sæd/

phr

To experience a state of sadness or melancholy, often without a clear external cause.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

'Blue' in this idiom symbolizes sadness; its use for melancholy dates back to Chaucer.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine feeling blue as if the sky's blue color reflects your sad mood.

📖 Example

After missing her best friend's birthday party, she spent the rainy afternoon feeling blue. 🔊 After missing her best friend's birthday party, she spent the rainy afternoon feeling blue.

🔗 Collocations

feel blue – to experience sadness

look blue – to appear sad or melancholy

turn blue – to become sad or depressed

🔄 Synonyms

downcast (adj.) – Feeling or showing sadness and low spirits.

melancholy (adj.) – Having a feeling of thoughtful sadness, especially with no obvious cause.

sad (adj.) – Feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy.

🚫 Antonyms

cheerful (adj.) – Feeling or showing happiness and optimism.

elated (adj.) – Extremely happy and excited.

joyful (adj.) – Feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness.

🌱 Derivatives

the blues (n.) – A state of sadness or depression; also a music genre.

📖 Cultural Story

Likely from Chaucer's use of 'blue' for sadness (14th c.) or 18th-century 'blue devils' meaning low spirits.