depressing

adjective

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

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.
Soon, the entire room was awash with clippings, each detailing a different duplicitous scheme — a depressing reflection of how scam culture was taking over my country, eroding our trust in each other. Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025 Welcome to the most depressing engagement party of the century. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025 And that’s what's so depressing. Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025 His college career has come to an end in a very depressing way. Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for depressing

Word History

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of depressing was in 1629

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Depressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depressing. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on depressing

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!