✨ 语义深度解析 ⋮
depress
高考核心词 作文加分词 难度 1/5 ⏱ 2 分钟
核心
使抑郁，使沮丧；压低；按下——使情绪低落，或使数值下降
释义
1
v.使抑郁，使沮丧
The prolonged period of isolation during the pandemic depressed many people, contributing to a significant rise in reported cases of anxiety and mental illness.
疫情期间长期的隔离使许多人感到抑郁，导致焦虑和心理疾病报告病例大幅增加。
2
v.压低（价格、工资、经济等）
An oversupply of goods in global markets tends to depress prices, squeezing profit margins for producers and exporters alike.
全球市场商品供应过剩往往会压低价格，压缩生产商和出口商的利润空间。
语感
depressed（人：抑郁的）；depressing（事物：令人沮丧的）；depression（抑郁症；大萧条）；depress prices / wages（压低价格/工资）；the Great Depression（大萧条）
使抑郁，使沮丧（the news depressed him）压低（depress prices = 压低价格）按下（depress a key = 按下按键，偏技术）
陷阱
⚠️depressed（人：感到抑郁）vs. depressing（事物：令人沮丧）——形容词辨析
Reading the annual report on global poverty levels is deeply depressing — the figures show that progress has stalled in the most vulnerable regions.
✗
depressing = depressed（混淆主动/被动形容词）
✓
depressing（令人沮丧的，描述事物/情况：a depressing report = 令人沮丧的报告；depressing news = 令人沮丧的消息；depressing statistics = 令人沮丧的统计数据）；depressed（感到抑郁的，描述人：I felt depressed = 我感到抑郁；she is clinically depressed = 她患有临床抑郁；also: depressed area/economy = 萎靡的地区/经济）；× a depressed report（× 不对；报告是令人沮丧的，不是「抑郁的」）
阅读全球贫困水平的年度报告令人沮丧——数字显示最脆弱地区的进展已经停滞。（depressing = 令人沮丧的，描述事物；vs. depressed = 感到抑郁的，描述人）
⚠️depression（抑郁症/大萧条）——注意两个不同义项
✗
The country entered a severe economic depression in the early 1930s, with unemployment reaching unprecedented levels and industrial output collapsing.
该国在1930年代初进入严重的经济萧条，失业率达到前所未有的水平，工业产出崩溃。（economic depression = 经济萧条，用法正确）
depression 有两个主要义项：① 经济大萧条（economic depression = 经济萧条；the Great Depression = 1930年代大萧条）；② 心理抑郁症（clinical depression = 临床抑郁症；suffer from depression = 患抑郁症）；此句 economic depression = 经济萧条，用法正确；注意：depression（经济）vs. recession（衰退）：depression 比 recession 更严重（economic depression = 极度衰退，GDP大幅下降）；a mild recession = 温和衰退
✓
Many economists fear that the current downturn could deepen into a full-scale economic depression if policymakers fail to act decisively.
许多经济学家担心，如果政策制定者未能果断行动，当前的经济低迷可能会深化为全面的经济萧条。（economic depression，比 recession 更严重）
近义辨析
depress vs discourage
depress depress（使抑郁/沮丧，强调「持续的低落情绪」：the situation depressed everyone = 情况让所有人感到沮丧；也指「压低」数值） discourage discourage（使气馁，使放弃：high costs discourage investment = 高成本阻碍投资；don't be discouraged = 不要气馁；比 depress 更具体，指「使人失去继续尝试的意愿」，不描述长期情绪状态）
The scale of the environmental damage depressed the entire research team, who had spent years working to protect the region's biodiversity.
环境破坏的规模令整个研究团队感到沮丧，他们多年来一直致力于保护该地区的生物多样性。
The complexity of the application process tends to discourage many eligible candidates from applying for the grants they need.
申请流程的复杂性往往会使许多符合条件的申请人望而却步，不敢申请他们所需的资助。
写作加分
✨ 加分词
替换：lowerreducemake worse
经济话题政策分析话题社会问题议论文
普通
Low wages make it hard for people to have a decent life.
低工资使人们难以过上体面的生活。
加分 ✨
Persistently low wages not only depress consumer spending and overall economic activity, but also undermine workers' ability to invest in education and healthcare — creating a cycle of disadvantage that is difficult to escape.
持续低工资不仅压低消费支出和整体经济活动，还削弱了工人投资于教育和医疗的能力——造成一个难以摆脱的劣势循环。
常用搭配
feel depressed（adj.）感到抑郁（描述人）
depressing（adj.）令人沮丧的（描述事物：a depressing outlook）
clinical depression（n.）临床抑郁症
the Great Depression（1930年代）大萧条
depress prices / wages压低价格/工资
词根
depress = de（向下）+ press（压）→ 「向下压」：① 压低情绪 = 使抑郁；② 压低价格；③ 按下按钮；depression = 「被压下去」的状态：心理抑郁 / 经济萧条（大萧条 = 经济被「压」到谷底）；depressed（被压下的人/地区）；depressing（会压人情绪的事物）
考考你
Q1对错判断
判断下面句子里的用法是否正确：
The economic outlook is deeply depressing — analysts predict that unemployment will continue to rise throughout the remainder of the year.
deeply depressing（令人深感沮丧的，描述事物）用法正确；economic outlook（经济前景）是事物，用 depressing（而非 depressed）；throughout the remainder of the year = 今年剩余时间内，语法正确
Q2近义选词
选择最恰当的词填空：
The additional regulatory burden is likely to ___ new businesses from entering the market, reducing competition and consumer choice.
Adepress
Bdiscourage
✓ 额外的监管负担可能会阻碍新企业进入市场，减少竞争和消费者选择。
discourage（使气馁，阻碍）比 depress 更准确；discourage...from doing = 使…不敢做，阻碍进入；depress 描述情绪低落或压低数值；discourage new businesses from entering = 阻碍新企业进入，是标准经济政策表达
Q3义项辨析
下面四个句子中，depress/depressed/depression 的含义与其他三个最不同的是：
A
An oversupply of agricultural produce has depressed farm prices to their lowest level in a decade.
B
He had been clinically depressed for two years before finally seeking professional help.
C
Weak consumer demand continues to depress economic growth in the region, despite recent stimulus measures.
D
The central bank warned that higher interest rates could depress business investment and slow the recovery.
B 中 depressed = 患抑郁症（心理健康义）；A 中 depressed = 压低（农产品价格）；C 中 depress = 抑制（经济增长）；D 中 depress = 抑制（企业投资）
接着学
点击进入该词的深度解析
recession近义经济衰退（an economic recession = 经济衰退；比 depression 程度较轻：recession = GDP下降2个季度；depression = 严重、持续的衰退）
anxiety近义焦虑（anxiety and depression = 焦虑与抑郁，常并列；depression（情绪）的相关词）
elate反义使兴奋，使振奋（the news elated the team = 消息令团队振奋；depress 的反义：压低情绪 vs. 振奋情绪）
stimulate反义刺激，促进（stimulate economic growth = 刺激经济增长；depress economic activity 的反义：抑制 vs. 促进）