depressing

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UK/dɪˈpɹɛsɪŋ(ɡ)/US/dɪˈpɹɛsɪŋ/

adjective

Causing depression or sadness.

“The policy may have a depressing effect on some branches of industry.”

Similar
distressingsaddeningunpleasantatrabiliaryatrabiliousdeplorablegrievousheartbreaking
Opposite
cheerful
Less commonScrabble 14
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Meanings

adjectivedepressing (comparative more depressing, superlative most depressing)

comparative more depressing · superlative most depressing

  1. Causing depression or sadness.

    The television news was depressing, so rather than start crying I turned it off.

    Synonyms: distressing, saddening, unpleasant, atrabiliary, atrabilious, deplorable, distressing, grievous

  2. Causing a reduction in economic activity.

    The policy may have a depressing effect on some branches of industry.

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of depress

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveCausing depression or sadness.

Similar
distressingsaddeningunpleasantatrabiliaryatrabiliousdeplorabledistressinggrievousheartbreakingheartrendingmiserablelamentablelachrymablemournfulregrettableruefulsadsaddeningsorrowful
Similar
grim

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivecausing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy

Similar
cheerlessuncheerfulbluedarkdingysombersombremelancholy
Opposite
cheerful
Also see
bleakbluecheerlesscomfortlessdarkdeplorabledesolatedingydiredisconsolatedismaldistressingdolefuldrabdreardrearisomedrearydreichforbiddinggaylessgloomsomegloomyglumgraygrievousgrimhumorlessjokelesslachrymablelamentablelugubriousmelancholymirthlessmiserablemoodymournfulpathetisadplaintiveregrettableruefulsadsaddeningsaturninesolemnsolitarysombresorrowfulsorrysternsullensunlesstragicuncheerfuluncheeryunmerryunmirthfulupsettingwintrywoefulwretched

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian тягостен, угнетителен
  • тягостен (tjagosten)causing depression or sadness
  • угнетителен (ugnetitelen)causing depression or sadness
Catalan depriment
  • deprimentcausing depression or sadness
Chinese Mandarin 令人沮喪的 /令人沮丧的, 使蕭條 /使萧条
  • 令人沮喪的 /令人沮丧的 (lìngrén jǔsàng de)causing depression or sadness
  • 使蕭條 /使萧条causing a reduction in economic activity
  • 使蕭條 /使萧条 (shǐ xiāotiáo)causing a reduction in economic activity
Dutch deprimerend
  • deprimerendcausing depression or sadness
Esperanto nigra
  • nigracausing depression or sadness
Finnish masentava, hidastava
  • masentavacausing depression or sadness
  • hidastavacausing a reduction in economic activity
French déprimant
  • déprimantcausing depression or sadness
German deprimierend, bedrückend
  • deprimierendcausing depression or sadness
  • bedrückendcausing depression or sadness
Greek καταθλιπτικός
  • καταθλιπτικός (katathliptikós)causing depression or sadness
Hebrew מדכא
  • מדכא (medake')causing depression or sadness
Hungarian nyomasztó, lehangoló
  • nyomasztócausing depression or sadness
  • lehangolócausing depression or sadness
  • deprimálócausing depression or sadness
Irish gruama
  • gruamacausing depression or sadness
Italian deprimente
  • deprimentecausing depression or sadness
Polish powodujący depresję
  • powodujący depresjęcausing depression or sadness
Portuguese deprimente
  • deprimentecausing depression or sadness
Russian гнету́щий, тя́гостный
  • гнету́щий (gnetúščij)causing depression or sadness
  • тя́гостный (tjágostnyj)causing depression or sadness
  • уны́лый (unýlyj)causing depression or sadness
  • наводя́щий тоску́ (navodjáščij toskú)causing depression or sadness
  • депресси́вный (depressívnyj)causing depression or sadness
  • удруча́ющий (udručájuščij)causing depression or sadness
Spanish deprimente
  • deprimentecausing depression or sadness
Swedish deprimerande, deppig
  • deprimerandecausing depression or sadness
  • deppigcausing depression or sadness
Thai น่าหดหู่, น่าเศร้า
  • น่าหดหู่causing depression or sadness
  • น่าเศร้าcausing depression or sadness
Ukrainian гнітю́чий, тужли́вий
  • гнітю́чий (hnitjúčyj)causing depression or sadness
  • тужли́вий (tužlývyj)causing depression or sadness
  • похму́рий (poxmúryj)causing depression or sadness
  • сумни́й (sumnýj)causing depression or sadness
Cite this entry
APA

depressing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/depressing

MLA

“depressing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/depressing. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “depressing,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/depressing.

Source: depressing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.