depressed

depressed — adjective

1. Feeling extremely sad for a period of time, with little belief that anything wil

1.形容詞B1
釋義

Feeling extremely sad for a period of time, with little belief that anything will get better.

例句

After losing his job, Hugo felt depressed for several months.

feel + depressed + for [period of time]

The dark winter weather made Reema feel even more depressed than usual.

同義詞
  • sad

    less intense and usually shorter in duration

  • unhappy

    more general; can refer to any feeling of displeasure

  • down

    informal; describes a temporary low mood

  • miserable

    emphasises physical discomfort and unhappiness together

反義詞
  • happy

    feeling pleasure or contentment

  • cheerful

    actively bright and in good spirits

文法句型

depressed + about + noun/gerund

depressed + that-clause

用法筆記

In everyday conversation, depressed describes a deeper, longer-lasting sadness than upset or down. For a very brief bad mood, use sad or unhappy instead.

常見錯誤

❌I felt depressed when I dropped my phone.
✅I felt upset when I dropped my phone.
💡Depressed is too strong for minor everyday problems.
❌She was depressing about the exam results.
✅She was depressed about the exam results.
💡Depressing describes the thing that causes sadness; depressed describes how a person feels.

2. Describing a place, industry, or economic situation where there is little busine

2.形容詞B2
釋義

Describing a place, industry, or economic situation where there is little business activity, few jobs, and not enough money moving through the system.

例句

The depressed housing market meant that few people were buying new homes.

depressed + [economic noun] — housing market

Small shops struggled to survive in the depressed economy of the town.

同義詞
  • struggling

    softer and more general; can apply to businesses or people

  • weak

    describes low activity without the crisis tone of depressed

  • sluggish

    emphasises slow movement rather than overall crisis

反義詞

文法句型

depressed + [economic noun]

用法筆記

Subject is typically a geographical area (region, town), a sector (market, industry), or an economic indicator (sales, prices). Not used for personal finances — a person is not depressed in this sense.

常見錯誤

❌The depressed student could not find a job.
✅The student struggled in a depressed job market.
💡Depressed describes the market, not the person in this sense.

3. Measuring or valued at a level that is clearly below what people normally expect

3.形容詞B2
釋義

Measuring or valued at a level that is clearly below what people normally expect or consider standard.

例句

The price of oil remained depressed for the whole year.

remain + depressed — describing continuing low level

Doctors found that his blood pressure was dangerously depressed after the fall.

同義詞
  • low

    simpler and more general; less technical

  • reduced

    emphasises a drop from a previous higher level

  • below normal

    explicitly compares to a standard

反義詞

文法句型

depressed + [measurement noun]

remain + depressed

stay + depressed

用法筆記

Common with measurements, prices, biological indicators (blood pressure, immune response), and performance metrics. The thing being measured is the subject — not the cause.

常見錯誤

❌My exam scores were depressed.
✅My exam scores were lower than usual.
💡Depressed sounds unnatural for academic results; use 'lower' or 'below average.'