depressing

adjective

de·​press·​ing di-ˈpre-siŋ How to pronounce depressing (audio)
dē-
Synonyms of depressingnext
: that depresses
especially : causing emotional depression
a depressing story
depressingly
di-ˈpre-siŋ-lē How to pronounce depressing (audio)
dē-
adverb

Synonyms of depressing

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of depressing in a Sentence

This rainy weather is depressing. He paints a depressing picture of modern life.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The simple, rather depressing, and completely overwhelming fact of the matter is that the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be ignored, even as superhero fatigue has definitively set in at the global box office. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 The glow through the translucent stone façade prevents that journey from being downright depressing. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026 The dark, depressing story was revitalized, with a new lead character, on-screen marital issues, explosive action, and one of the most charismatic and interesting villains ever put to screen. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 All the while, Myers assembles a possible titan in Philly, and the Warriors are left staring down the pipe at another depressing play-in tournament exit at absolute best. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for depressing

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of depressing was in 1556

Rhymes for depressing

See All Rhymes for depressing

Browse Nearby Words

depressible
depressing
depression
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Depressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depressing. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on depressing

Nglish: Translation of depressing for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All