Meanings
- neologismno pluralA sustained period of pessimism about the state of the economy.
Still, the high price level does not go all the way to explaining why households are gloomier now than during the Great Inflation of the 1960s and 1970s or during the Great Recession. ¶ "I think that you can probably describe what's going on as a bit of a 'vibepression,'" Hamrick said.
2026 April 18, Zach Halaschak, quoting Mark Hamrick, “'Vibepression': Why consumer sentiment is hitting record lows”, in Washington Examiner, Washington, D.C.: MediaDC, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 Apr 2026Synonyms: permacession
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA sustained period of pessimism about the state of the economy.
Origin
Blend of vibe + depression. Coined by American economist Kevin Gordon in December 2025.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
vibepression. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vibepression
“vibepression.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vibepression. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vibepression,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vibepression.
Source: vibepression on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.