50 Idioms for Depression With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Depression
1. In the depths of despair
Meaning: Experiencing extreme sadness or hopelessness.
In a Sentence: After losing his job, Mark was in the depths of despair.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply saddened, feeling hopeless, in misery.
2. Down in the Dumps
Meaning: Feeling very sad or depressed.
In a Sentence: Jack has been down in the dumps since his best friend moved away.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling low, feeling gloomy, feeling miserable.
3. In a black mood
Meaning: Being in a deeply gloomy or angry mood.
In a Sentence: She’s been in a black mood ever since the argument.
Other Ways to Say: Gloomy, moody, sulking.
4. Feeling Under the Weather
Meaning: Feeling unwell, both physically and emotionally.
In a Sentence: Jenny couldn’t go to the party because she was feeling under the weather.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling off, feeling out of sorts, feeling downcast.
5. Down and out
Meaning: Depressed and without resources or hope.
In a Sentence: After the bankruptcy, he was completely down and out.
Other Ways to Say: Destitute, broken, hopeless.
6. Blue Monday
Meaning: A feeling of sadness typically felt at the beginning of the week.
In a Sentence: I always get a case of Blue Monday after a relaxing weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Monday blues, feeling sluggish, start-of-week gloom.
7. Feeling blue
Meaning: Feeling sad or depressed.
In a Sentence: She was feeling blue after hearing the bad news.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling low, heartbroken, melancholic.
8. Crying over spilled milk
Meaning: Feeling sad about something that can’t be changed.
In a Sentence: Stop crying over spilled milk; what’s done is done.
Other Ways to Say: Let it go, move on, it’s in the past.
9. Broken-hearted
Meaning: Deeply hurt emotionally, especially due to love or loss.
In a Sentence: She was broken-hearted after the breakup.
Other Ways to Say: Grieving, crushed, devastated.
10. Drowning in sorrow
Meaning: Overwhelmed by sadness or grief.
In a Sentence: He spent the night drinking, drowning in sorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Consumed by grief, immersed in sadness.
11. Carrying the weight of the world
Meaning: Feeling burdened by emotional stress or problems.
In a Sentence: Lately, she’s been carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed, burdened, stressed.
12. Hit rock bottom
Meaning: Reaching the lowest emotional point.
In a Sentence: After his divorce and job loss, he hit rock bottom.
Other Ways to Say: Lowest point, emotionally drained, broken.
13. Like a cloud hanging over
Meaning: A feeling of constant sadness or dread.
In a Sentence: Ever since the accident, it’s like a cloud has been hanging over her.
Other Ways to Say: Heavy-hearted, overshadowed by sadness.
14. In a funk
Meaning: In a depressed or lethargic mood.
In a Sentence: He’s been in a funk ever since the rejection letter arrived.
Other Ways to Say: Slumped, low energy, in a rut.
15. Soul-crushing
Meaning: Extremely demoralizing or emotionally painful.
In a Sentence: The constant failures were soul-crushing.
Other Ways to Say: Demoralizing, devastating, emotionally exhausting.
16. Down for the count
Meaning: Temporarily defeated or emotionally drained.
In a Sentence: After three failed attempts, he felt down for the count.
Other Ways to Say: Knocked down, emotionally exhausted.
17. Cry me a river
Meaning: Express exaggerated or dramatic sadness.
In a Sentence: “Oh, cry me a river,” she said when he started complaining.
Other Ways to Say: Overreact, don’t exaggerate, dramatic mourning.
18. Living in a dark place
Meaning: Struggling emotionally and mentally.
In a Sentence: He’s been living in a dark place since his wife passed away.
Other Ways to Say: Emotionally trapped, struggling inside.
19. Feeling hollow
Meaning: Feeling empty or emotionally numb.
In a Sentence: She smiled, but inside she was feeling hollow.
Other Ways to Say: Emotionally empty, numb, vacant.
20. Stuck in a rut
Meaning: Feeling trapped in a repetitive, unhappy routine.
In a Sentence: His job makes him feel stuck in a rut every day.
Other Ways to Say: Bored, unmotivated, emotionally stuck.
21. Wearing a mask
Meaning: Hiding true emotions behind a happy front.
In a Sentence: You’d never know she’s depressed; she’s always wearing a mask.
Other Ways to Say: Pretending to be okay, emotionally guarded.
22. Rain on one’s parade
Meaning: Something that spoils joy or mood.
In a Sentence: The news really rained on her parade.
Other Ways to Say: Spoil the mood, bring down the vibe.
23. Dead inside
Meaning: Feeling emotionally numb or lifeless.
In a Sentence: After all that trauma, he just feels dead inside.
Other Ways to Say: Emotionally numb, drained, unfeeling.
24. A heavy heart
Meaning: Feeling sorrow or sadness.
In a Sentence: With a heavy heart, she said goodbye to her childhood home.
Other Ways to Say: Grieving, full of sorrow, heartbroken.
25. Black dog is visiting
Meaning: Depression has set in.
In a Sentence: The black dog has been visiting again lately.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling depressed, struggling mentally.
26. Moody blues
Meaning: Feeling emotionally low or melancholic.
In a Sentence: I’ve got the moody blues today for no reason.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling down, unexplained sadness.
27. In a Bad Place
Meaning: Experiencing emotional or psychological hardship.
In a Sentence: After losing his job, Mark was in a bad place for months.
Other Ways to Say: Mentally down, emotionally troubled, struggling internally.
28. Carrying the World on One’s Shoulders
Meaning: Feeling overwhelmed with worries or burdens.
In a Sentence: She looked like she was carrying the world on her shoulders after the breakup.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed, burdened, heavily stressed.
29. Singing the Blues
Meaning: Feeling very sad or depressed.
In a Sentence: He’s been singing the blues since his dog passed away.
Other Ways to Say: Mourning, grieving, downhearted.
30. In the Depths of Despair
Meaning: In an extremely depressed or hopeless state.
In a Sentence: After the tragedy, she was in the depths of despair.
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless, deeply saddened, crushed.
31. Heavy-Hearted
Meaning: Feeling very sad or sorrowful.
In a Sentence: He walked away heavy-hearted after saying goodbye.
Other Ways to Say: Sorrowful, grieving, blue.
32. In a Funk
Meaning: Stuck in a sad or negative emotional state.
In a Sentence: I’ve been in a funk all week and can’t shake it off.
Other Ways to Say: Down, moody, sulking.
33. Losing Heart
Meaning: Becoming discouraged or disheartened.
In a Sentence: She started losing heart after so many job rejections.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling defeated, demotivated, hopeless.
34. Crying Over Spilled Milk
Meaning: Being upset about something that can’t be undone.
In a Sentence: He’s depressed, crying over spilled milk instead of moving on.
Other Ways to Say: Regretful, fixated on the past, stuck.
35. Like a Cloud Hanging Over
Meaning: Feeling persistently sad or worried.
In a Sentence: Ever since the accident, it’s like a cloud is hanging over her.
Other Ways to Say: Gloomy, overshadowed, emotionally dark.
36. Down and Out
Meaning: Without hope, money, or support.
In a Sentence: After the business failed, he was completely down and out.
Other Ways to Say: Defeated, ruined, at rock bottom.
37. Losing Sleep Over
Meaning: Being so worried or upset that you can’t rest.
In a Sentence: She’s been losing sleep over her failing relationship.
Other Ways to Say: Restless, anxious, troubled.
38. Hit a Low Point
Meaning: Reached the worst phase emotionally or mentally.
In a Sentence: That winter, she hit a low point she’d never known before.
Other Ways to Say: Bottomed out, at her worst, deeply depressed.
39. Wearing a Long Face
Meaning: Showing visible sadness.
In a Sentence: He came into the room wearing a long face after the call.
Other Ways to Say: Sulking, looking gloomy, downcast expression.
40. Broken Inside
Meaning: Feeling deeply emotionally hurt.
In a Sentence: She was smiling, but I could tell she was broken inside.
Other Ways to Say: Crushed, heartbroken, shattered.
41. Tears Just Below the Surface
Meaning: Emotionally fragile, close to breaking down.
In a Sentence: He spoke calmly, but his tears were just below the surface.
Other Ways to Say: On edge, near tears, emotionally unstable.
42. Feeling Blue
Meaning: Feeling sad or melancholic.
In a Sentence: I’ve been feeling blue since the holidays ended.
Other Ways to Say: Glum, down, melancholic.
43. Sinking Feeling
Meaning: A sudden sense of dread or sadness.
In a Sentence: I had a sinking feeling as I read the bad news.
Other Ways to Say: Dread, unease, sorrow.
44. Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster
Meaning: Experiencing extreme ups and downs emotionally.
In a Sentence: She’s been riding the emotional rollercoaster after her divorce.
Other Ways to Say: Emotionally unstable, moody, unpredictable.
45. Mind in a Dark Place
Meaning: Being mentally clouded with sadness or negativity.
In a Sentence: He admitted that his mind was in a dark place last month.
Other Ways to Say: Mentally low, negative mindset, depressed.
46. Pushing Through the Fog
Meaning: Struggling with mental clarity due to depression.
In a Sentence: Every day felt like pushing through the fog for her.
Other Ways to Say: Mentally blocked, unfocused, emotionally numb.
47. Nothing Feels Right
Meaning: Feeling disconnected or numb emotionally.
In a Sentence: Ever since the incident, nothing feels right anymore.
Other Ways to Say: Emotionally numb, disengaged, lost.
48. The Weight of the World
Meaning: Feeling extreme emotional burden or responsibility.
In a Sentence: It looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Other Ways to Say: Heavily burdened, overwhelmed, emotionally crushed.
49. Locked in Sadness
Meaning: Unable to escape emotional pain.
In a Sentence: He felt locked in sadness after the tragedy.
Other Ways to Say: Trapped in grief, emotionally paralyzed, stuck in sorrow.
50. At the End of One’s Rope
Meaning: Reaching emotional or mental limits.
In a Sentence: She was at the end of her rope, unsure how to go on.
Other Ways to Say: Out of strength, desperate, emotionally drained.
