depressed
UK[dɪˈprɛst]US[dɪˈprɛst]
adj
feeling very unhappy and without hope
adj
suffering from a medical condition that causes a person to feel very sad and anxious for a long time
adj
(of a place or industry) suffering from a lack of economic activity or jobs
Morpheme Breakdown
de
press
ed
de
down
press
press
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word "depressed" originates from the latin verb 'deprimere', meaning "to press down," which is a compound of the prefix 'de-' (down) and the verb 'premere' (to press). this literal sense of being physically pressed down evolved metaphorically in late latin and medieval latin to describe a state of being spiritually or mentally weighed down. by the 17th century, the english adjective "depressed" had fully absorbed these psychological and economic connotations, moving from a physical action to describe a condition of low spirits or diminished activity.
Analysis
Structure: de (down) + press (press) + ed (adjective suffix)
de- (latin origin, a prefix meaning "down" or "away"); press (latin origin, from 'premere', meaning "to press"); -ed (old english origin, a suffix used to form adjectives from verbs or nouns).
Examples
she felt very depressed after hearing the bad news.
he was diagnosed with a clinically depressed state.
the depressed region struggled with high unemployment for years.