depression

Meanings

1. 1noununcountablemedical

   A mental health condition with lasting sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in things.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable when talking about the illness in general; can be countable when referring to a particular episode.

   Patterns

   • suffer from depression
   • clinical depression
   • deep depression

   She was diagnosed with depression after months of feeling low.

   Depression can make everyday tasks feel impossible.

   He sought help for his depression and began therapy.

2. 2nouncountablebusinessfinance

   A long period of severe economic decline with high unemployment and falling production.

   Grammar: Countable when referring to a specific period, often with 'the' and a name.

   Patterns

   • economic depression
   • the Great Depression
   • fall into depression

   The country suffered a deep depression in the 1930s.

   Many businesses closed during the depression.

   Economists fear another depression if spending continues to fall.

3. 3nouncountabletechnical

   A sunken or hollow area on a surface.

   Grammar: Countable; often used in geography and anatomy.

   Patterns

   • a depression in something
   • shallow depression

   The rain collected in a small depression in the ground.

   The doctor noted a slight depression on the skull.

   A shallow depression in the rock formed a natural pool.

Word forms

Common combinations

suffer from depression

Many people suffer from depression at some point in their lives.

clinical depression

Clinical depression requires professional treatment.

economic depression

The economic depression lasted for a decade.

the Great Depression

The Great Depression began with the stock market crash of 1929.

deep depression

He fell into a deep depression after losing his job.

Synonyms and how they differ

melancholy

Melancholy is a literary word for a sad mood; it is not a medical condition like depression.

recession

A recession is a milder economic downturn; a depression is longer and more severe.

hollow

Hollow is a general noun for an empty space inside something; depression is a technical term for a sunken area on a surface.

Opposites

Word family

depress verb

To make someone feel sad or to reduce economic activity.

depressed adjective

Feeling very sad and without hope; also used for an area with little economic activity.

depressing adjective

Making someone feel sad and without hope.

depressive adjective

Relating to depression, especially the medical condition.

Commonly confused: depression or recession? depression or compression?

Practice

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