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be depressed
/biː dɪˈprɛst/
feel extremely sad or hopeless
She has been depressed since losing her job.
She has felt extremely sad and hopeless since losing her job.
formalinformal
to feel extremely sad, hopeless, or lacking in energy due to emotional or psychological distress
He has been depressed for months and hasn't sought help.
He has felt extremely sad and hopeless for months and hasn't sought help.
Depression can be treated with therapy and medication.
The state of feeling extremely sad or hopeless can be treated with therapy and medication.
This phrase is commonly used to describe a clinical condition (depression) or a general emotional state.
Collocations
be clinically depressedto have a diagnosed mental health condition of depressionbe severely depressedto feel extremely sad or hopeless to a severe degree
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Context Matters
Use 'be depressed' for serious emotional states; for mild sadness, consider 'feel down'.
Gold Rule
Avoid Overuse
Overusing 'depressed' for minor sadness can trivialize clinical depression.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'depressed,' meaning 'pressed down,' later adopted in psychology to describe a low emotional state.
Usage Notes
This phrase can refer to a temporary emotional state or a clinical condition (depression). In formal contexts, it is often used in psychology and medicine.
Word Breakdown
be
to exist in a state
verbdepressed
pressed down, in a low emotional state
adjectiveEnglish Dictionary