depress

Word family

de·press /dɪˈpres/ AWL verb [transitiveT]

1 SAD/UNHAPPYto make someone feel very unhappy 使沮喪，使憂愁，使抑鬱 → depression

The thought of taking the exam again depressed him.

想到要補考，他就心情沮喪。

It depresses me that nobody seems to care.

似乎沒有人在乎，這讓我感到很沮喪。

2 HARM/BE BAD FORto prevent an economy from being as active and successful as it usually is 使〔經濟〕不景氣 → depression

Several factors combined to depress the American economy.

幾個因素加在一起造成了美國經濟的不景氣。

3 formalPRESS to press something down, especially a part of a machine 按下，壓下，推下〔尤指機器的一部分〕

Depress the clutch fully.

把離合器踩到底。

In everyday English, people usually say they push (down) or press (down) a button rather than depress it: 在日常英語中,人們一般說 push (down) 或 press (down) a button ,而不說 depress a button

Push this button for cold water.

需要冷水就按這個按鈕。

Push the clutch down fully.

把離合器踩到底。

4 formalVALUE to reduce the value of prices or wages 減少，降低〔價值或工資〕

High interest rates may depress share prices.

高利率可能打壓股價。

Examples from the Corpus

depress• Sometimes she stayed for weeks, but it depressed her terribly.• Shaun decided to leave. The way the others were behaving was beginning to depress him.• Falling demand for wheat has depressed its market price.• That movie depressed me for hours.• It depressed me to think that five years ago I was earning more than I do now.• Depress the brake slowly.• The governor thinks higher taxes will depress the state's economy.• Listening to the news can really depress you, if you let it.• The aim in doing this is not to depress yourself but to be open to the possibility of self-improvement.

From Longman Business Dictionary

depressde·press /dɪˈpres/ verb [transitiveT]ECONOMICS

1to prevent an economy, industry, market etc from working properly or being as active as it usually is

Several factors combined to depress the American economy.

Overproduction was blamed for depressing oil markets.

2to reduce the value of something such as prices or wages

Competition between workers will depress wage levels.

Profits have already been depressed by the recession.

Origin depress

(1300-1400) Old French depresser, from Latin premere “to press”

de·press verb →REGISTER1

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