DEPRESSED

Definition of DEPRESSED

DEPRESSED Adjective and Verb

Depressed is both an adjective and a verb. As an adjective, depressed refers to a state of low mood, sadness, or despair. It can describe both an emotional state and a physical condition where a person feels overwhelmed by negative feelings or has a diminished sense of well-being. Depressed is often used to indicate a persistent or intense sadness that affects an individual’s thoughts, behaviors, and overall functioning.

DEPRESSED as an adjective

In terms of mental health, depressed refers to a psychological condition marked by feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, or a lack of interest in activities once enjoyed. It is commonly associated with depression, a clinical condition that can significantly impact a person’s ability to carry out daily tasks. For example, someone who is depressed may experience fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and changes in sleep or appetite.

Social and Situational Factors: Depressed can also describe someone feeling low due to external circumstances, such as personal loss, stress, or challenging life events. This form of depression may not necessarily be clinical but still points to an emotional downturn or a temporary feeling of sadness and discouragement.

Physical or Environmental Context: In physical or environmental contexts, depressed can describe a lowered or sunken state. For example, a depressed area of land refers to a region that is lower than the surrounding ground, often forming a dip or hollow. This use of depressed is more literal, referring to physical topography or shape.

DEPRESSED as a verb

As a verb, depressed is the past tense of the verb “depress,” meaning to lower or reduce something in terms of emotional state, physical condition, or value. The verb emphasizes the action of causing a reduction or decline, either in someone’s mood, health, or in tangible things such as prices, levels, or structures.

Emotional or Psychological Impact: When used in this sense, depressed refers to the act of making someone feel downcast, sad, or discouraged. For example, harsh comments or negative experiences can depress someone’s mood or outlook on life. The action of depressing another’s spirits is often associated with external influences or stimuli that evoke sadness or despair.

Economic and Market Contexts: Depressed can also be used in economic or market contexts to describe a state of reduced activity, low demand, or stagnation. For instance, a depressed economy refers to a situation where business, industry, or financial markets are performing poorly. Similarly, a depressed stock market implies that share prices have fallen significantly, often due to widespread pessimism or financial instability.

Physical Action or Force: In a more literal sense, to depress can mean to physically push something down, such as pressing a button, a lever, or even the surface of an object. The past tense depressed is used to indicate that this action has already been completed. For example, if someone depressed a key on a keyboard, it means they pressed it down.

In summary, depressed refers to both a mental state and a physical condition, describing emotions, psychological states, or even physical depressions in surfaces or landscapes. Whether used as an adjective to describe emotional or situational sadness, or as a verb indicating the action of lowering or reducing something, depressed emphasizes decline, both in personal well-being and in broader contexts like economics or physical spaces. The term highlights the effects of negative emotional states, external circumstances, or actions that lead to diminished conditions, necessitating attention or recovery.

Examples of DEPRESSED in a sentence

DEPRESSED as an adjective in a sentence

• She felt depressed after hearing the disappointing news.
• The town looked depressed and abandoned after the factory closed.
• He seemed visibly depressed, avoiding conversation with anyone.
• The depressed economy led to widespread unemployment.
• The patient was diagnosed as clinically depressed by the doctor.
• A depressed area on the map indicated lower elevation.
• He walked with a depressed posture, shoulders slumped and head down.
• The depressed housing market made it hard to sell properties.

DEPRESSED as a verb in a sentence

• The bad weather depressed everyone’s mood.
• Her constant criticism depressed his confidence.
• The loss of his job depressed him deeply.
• Market fears depressed stock prices for weeks.
• News of the accident depressed the entire community.
• The failure of the project depressed the team’s morale.
• His harsh words depressed her spirits.
• The pandemic severely depressed global tourism.

Origin of DEPRESSED

Depressed is the past participle and adjective form of the verb depress, meaning feeling sad, low in mood, or exhibiting a lowered state.

Semantic Context: As an adjective, depressed describes a state of mental or emotional low mood, sadness, or discouragement. It is commonly used in psychological and everyday contexts to indicate feelings of unhappiness or clinical depression.

• Etymological Roots: The verb depress comes from Latin deprimere, meaning “to press down,” formed from de- (“down”) and premere (“to press”). Depressed is formed by adding the past participle suffix -ed.
• Historical Development: The term has been used since Middle English to denote physical pressing down and later evolved metaphorically to describe lowered spirits or mood.
• Cultural and Social Applications: Depressed is widely used in mental health to describe mood disorders, as well as colloquially to express feelings of sadness or discouragement.
• Current Usage: Today, depressed is a common term for describing emotional states, both clinically and informally, relating to sadness or low mood.

The term depressed highlights a lowered or downcast state, emphasizing diminished mood or spirits.