down in the dumps

English

Alternative forms

• in the dumps

Etymology

From dump “a dull, gloomy state of the mind.”

Pronunciation

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Adjective

down in the dumps (comparative more down in the dumps, superlative most down in the dumps)

1. (idiomatic) Sad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.
   • 1886, Edward Payson Roe, chapter 2, in He Fell In Love With His Wife:

     "You've got down in the dumps and can't see what's sensible and to your own advantage."

   • 2009 February 2, Brian McVicar, “Some in Mich. turn to ice fishing as economy dives”, in chicagotribune.com, retrieved 3 February 2009:

     "Being out of work sometimes makes you feel down in the dumps and being out here with my buddies helps."

Synonyms

• crestfallen, depressed, downhearted, listless, low-spirited, melancholic, unhappy

Translations

sad

• Finnish: alakuloinen (fi), masentunut (fi)
• Polish: (informal) zdołowany (pl)
• Russian: как в во́ду опущенный (ru) (kak v vódu opuščennyj)
• Spanish: en horas bajas, de bajón, murrio (es) m (colloquial)