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Synonyms

deject, dispirit, oppress, sadden, weigh down, drop, let down, take down, cheapen, devaluate, devalue, downgrade

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depress - 7 dictionary results

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de·press

[di-pres] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used with object)

1.	to make sad or gloomy; lower in spirits; deject; dispirit.

2.	to lower in force, vigor, activity, etc.; weaken; make dull.

3.	to lower in amount or value.

4.	to put into a lower position: to depress the muzzle of a gun.

5.	to press down.

6.	Music. to lower in pitch.

[Origin: 1275–1325; ME depressen < AF, OF depresser < L dépressus pressed down (ptp. of déprimere, equiv. to de- de- + -primere, comb. form of premere to press); see pressure

]

—Related forms

de·press·i·ble, adjective

de·press·i·bil·i·ty, noun

—Synonyms 1. dishearten, discourage, sadden. See oppress. 3. devalue, cheapen.

—Antonyms 4. raise, elevate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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de·press (dĭ-prěs') Pronunciation Key
tr.v. de·pressed, de·press·ing, de·press·es

To lower in spirits; deject.
1. To cause to drop or sink; lower: The drought depressed the water level in the reservoirs.
2. To press down: Depress the space bar on a typewriter.
To lessen the activity or force of; weaken: feared that rising inflation would further depress the economy.
To lower prices in (a financial market).

[Middle English depressen, to push down, from Old French depresser, from Latin dēprimere, dēpress- : dē-, de- + premere, to press; see per-⁴ in Indo-European roots.]

de·press'i·ble adj.

(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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depress

c.1325, from O.Fr. depresser, from L.L. depressare, freq. of L. deprimere "press down," from de- "down" + premere "to press" (see press (v.1)). Economic sense of depression is 1793, given a specific application in 1934 to the one that began worldwide in 1929; sense of "state of dejection" is c.1425; adopted 1905 as a clinical term in psychology. Depressant "sedative" is first attested 1876.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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depress
verb
1.	lower someone's spirits; make downhearted; "These news depressed her"; "The bad state of her child's health demoralizes her" [ant: elate]
2.	lower (prices or markets); "The glut of oil depressed gas prices"
3.	cause to drop or sink; "The lack of rain had depressed the water level in the reservoir" [syn: lower]
4.	press down; "Depress the space key" [syn: press down]
5.	lessen the activity or force of; "The rising inflation depressed the economy"

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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depress de·press (dĭ-prěs')
v.

To lower in spirits; deject.
To cause to drop or sink; lower.
To press down.
To lessen the activity or force of something.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Depress

De*press"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Depressing.] [L. depressus, p. p. of deprimere; de- + premere to press. See Press.]

1. To press down; to cause to sink; to let fall; to lower; as, to depress the muzzle of a gun; to depress the eyes. "With lips depressed." --Tennyson.

2. To bring down or humble; to abase, as pride.

3. To cast a gloom upon; to sadden; as, his spirits were depressed.

4. To lessen the activity of; to make dull; embarrass, as trade, commerce, etc.

5. To lessen in price; to cause to decline in value; to cheapen; to depreciate.

6. (Math.) To reduce (an equation) in a lower degree.

To depress the pole (Naut.), to cause the sidereal pole to appear lower or nearer the horizon, as by sailing toward the equator.

Syn: To sink; lower; abase; cast down; deject; humble; degrade; dispirit; discourage.

Depress

De*press"\, a. [L. depressus, p. p.] Having the middle lower than the border; concave. [Obs.]

If the seal be depress or hollow. --Hammond.