Idioms are vibrant expressions that add depth and color to our language, often capturing complex emotions in a way that resonates deeply. Unlike literal phrases, idioms convey feelings and experiences through creative metaphors, making them a powerful tool for expressing the nuances of mental health challenges like depression. For those navigating the heavy fog of depression—whether personally or supporting someone else—idioms can offer a way to articulate feelings that are often hard to put into words. These phrases are commonly used in conversations, literature, and even therapy, providing a shared language to describe the weight of emotional struggles.
Depression-related idioms can help individuals process their feelings, foster empathy, and spark meaningful discussions about mental health. They can also serve as a reminder that others have walked similar paths, offering a sense of connection in moments of isolation. In this article, you’ll discover 50 idioms that capture the essence of depression, their meanings, example sentences, and alternative ways to express them. Additionally, a practical exercise will help you engage with these idioms to better understand and apply them. Let’s explore this evocative world of words that reflect the complexities of depression.
Idioms for Depression
1. Down in the dumps
Meaning: Feeling sad, depressed, or low in spirits.
In a Sentence: Ever since she lost her job, she’s been down in the dumps, barely leaving her room or smiling.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling blue, In low spirits
2. Under a dark cloud
Meaning: Experiencing persistent sadness or gloom.
In a Sentence: Lately, he’s been walking around as if he’s under a dark cloud, unable to shake off his heavy mood.
Other Ways to Say: In a fog, Shrouded in gloom
3. Feeling blue
Meaning: Experiencing mild sadness or melancholy.
In a Sentence: Whenever the holidays come around, she starts feeling blue, missing her family who live far away.
Other Ways to Say: Down in the dumps, A bit glum
4. In the doldrums
Meaning: A state of stagnation or low energy, often linked to depression.
In a Sentence: After weeks of staying indoors, he found himself stuck in the doldrums, lacking motivation to do anything.
Other Ways to Say: In a rut, Feeling listless
5. Hit rock bottom
Meaning: Reaching the lowest point emotionally or mentally.
In a Sentence: Losing his best friend and failing his exams made him feel like he’d hit rock bottom this semester.
Other Ways to Say: At the lowest ebb, Bottomed out
6. Carry the weight of the world
Meaning: Feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities or emotional burdens.
In a Sentence: She felt like she was carrying the weight of the world, juggling work, family, and her own inner struggles.
Other Ways to Say: Burdened heavily, Weighed down
7. In a black mood
Meaning: Experiencing intense sadness or irritability.
In a Sentence: He was in a black mood all week, snapping at everyone and retreating into silence for hours.
Other Ways to Say: Dark mood, Deeply down
8. Sinking into despair
Meaning: Gradually falling into a state of hopelessness.
In a Sentence: After months of setbacks, she felt herself sinking into despair, unsure if things would ever improve.
Other Ways to Say: Falling into hopelessness, Losing hope
9. Lost in the fog
Meaning: Feeling confused or disoriented due to emotional turmoil.
In a Sentence: Depression left him lost in the fog, unable to focus on his goals or make clear decisions.
Other Ways to Say: Mentally adrift, In a haze
10. Walking on eggshells
Meaning: Being overly cautious due to emotional fragility.
In a Sentence: Her friends were walking on eggshells around her, unsure how to talk about her recent struggles with depression.
Other Ways to Say: Treading carefully, Being cautious
11. A heavy heart
Meaning: Feeling deep sadness or emotional pain.
In a Sentence: With a heavy heart, she attended the memorial, still grieving the loss of her closest friend.
Other Ways to Say: Heart full of sorrow, Weighted with grief
12. Drowning in sorrow
Meaning: Overwhelmed by intense sadness.
In a Sentence: After her breakup, she felt like she was drowning in sorrow, unable to find joy in anything she loved.
Other Ways to Say: Swamped by sadness, Consumed by grief
13. In a funk
Meaning: A temporary state of low mood or lack of motivation.
In a Sentence: He’s been in a funk since the rainy days started, not wanting to leave the house or see anyone.
Other Ways to Say: In a slump, Feeling off
14. The blues
Meaning: A general feeling of sadness or melancholy.
In a Sentence: Listening to sad music always gives her the blues, reminding her of tough times in her life.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling down, A touch of sadness
15. Heart in your boots
Meaning: Feeling extremely discouraged or depressed.
In a Sentence: After failing to land the job she wanted, her heart was in her boots, and she doubted her abilities.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply discouraged, Feeling defeated
16. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling unwell, physically or emotionally.
In a Sentence: She’s been under the weather lately, struggling with both a cold and a lingering sense of sadness.
Other Ways to Say: Not feeling well, A bit off
17. In the pits
Meaning: Experiencing extreme sadness or depression.
In a Sentence: Missing his family during the holidays left him in the pits, unable to enjoy the festivities.
Other Ways to Say: At a low point, Deeply down
18. Out of sorts
Meaning: Feeling slightly unwell or emotionally off-balance.
In a Sentence: He’s been out of sorts for days, snapping at small things and avoiding his usual hobbies.
Other Ways to Say: Not quite right, Off-kilter
19. Cloud hanging over
Meaning: A persistent sense of gloom or worry.
In a Sentence: Ever since the argument, a cloud has been hanging over her, making it hard to focus on anything else.
Other Ways to Say: Shadow of gloom, Lingering sadness
20. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Dwelling on past mistakes or losses that can’t be changed.
In a Sentence: She kept crying over spilled milk, replaying her failed audition in her mind over and over.
Other Ways to Say: Regret the past, Dwell on mistakes
21. Down in the mouth
Meaning: Visibly sad or dejected.
In a Sentence: He’s been down in the mouth since his team lost the championship game last weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Looking glum, Visibly upset
22. A long face
Meaning: Showing sadness or disappointment through facial expression.
In a Sentence: She walked into the room with a long face, clearly upset about the bad news she’d received.
Other Ways to Say: Sad expression, Gloomy look
23. Sing the blues
Meaning: Expressing feelings of sadness or depression.
In a Sentence: He’s been singing the blues ever since his best friend moved to another city.
Other Ways to Say: Lamenting, Expressing sorrow
24. In a blue funk
Meaning: A deep state of sadness or depression.
In a Sentence: After weeks of bad weather and isolation, she fell into a blue funk that was hard to shake.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply depressed, In a low mood
25. Knocked for a loop
Meaning: Emotionally overwhelmed or shocked.
In a Sentence: The sudden loss of her pet knocked her for a loop, leaving her in a daze of grief.
Other Ways to Say: Thrown off balance, Emotionally stunned
26. On a downer
Meaning: Feeling depressed or in a low mood.
In a Sentence: Missing the concert put her on a downer, and she couldn’t muster the energy to socialize.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling low, In a bad mood
27. In low spirits
Meaning: Feeling sad or lacking enthusiasm.
In a Sentence: He’s been in low spirits since his plans for the summer fell through unexpectedly.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling down, Lacking energy
28. Drag your feet
Meaning: Moving slowly or reluctantly due to lack of motivation.
In a Sentence: Depression made her drag her feet on even simple tasks like getting out of bed or answering texts.
Other Ways to Say: Move slowly, Lack enthusiasm
29. A shadow of oneself
Meaning: Not feeling or acting like your usual self due to emotional distress.
In a Sentence: Since the breakup, he’s been a shadow of himself, no longer laughing or engaging with friends.
Other Ways to Say: Not yourself, Diminished spirit
30. Wear a brave face
Meaning: Hiding true feelings of sadness or distress.
In a Sentence: Despite her depression, she wore a brave face at the family gathering to avoid worrying others.
Other Ways to Say: Put on a front, Mask your feelings
31. Fall to pieces
Meaning: Emotionally breaking down under pressure or sadness.
In a Sentence: When she heard the news about her grandmother, she fell to pieces, unable to stop crying.
Other Ways to Say: Break down, Lose composure
32. At the end of your rope
Meaning: Feeling completely exhausted or hopeless.
In a Sentence: After months of struggling with depression, she felt at the end of her rope, unsure where to turn.
Other Ways to Say: Completely worn out, Out of options
33. Heart on your sleeve
Meaning: Openly showing emotions, including sadness.
In a Sentence: She wears her heart on her sleeve, so everyone knew she was struggling with her depression.
Other Ways to Say: Show emotions openly, Be transparent
34. In a haze
Meaning: Feeling mentally unclear or disoriented due to emotional distress.
In a Sentence: Depression left him in a haze, unable to concentrate on work or enjoy his favorite hobbies.
Other Ways to Say: Foggy-minded, Mentally cloudy
35. Lose your spark
Meaning: Losing enthusiasm or energy for life.
In a Sentence: Over the past year, he seemed to lose his spark, no longer excited about things he once loved.
Other Ways to Say: Lose enthusiasm, Fade in spirit
36. Caught in a rut
Meaning: Stuck in a repetitive, uninspiring routine.
In a Sentence: Feeling caught in a rut, she struggled to find joy in her daily life due to depression.
Other Ways to Say: Stuck in a loop, In a slump
37. The weight of the world on your shoulders
Meaning: Feeling overwhelmed by emotional burdens.
In a Sentence: With all her responsibilities and inner struggles, she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Other Ways to Say: Heavily burdened, Overwhelmed
38. In a tailspin
Meaning: Spiraling into emotional chaos or distress.
In a Sentence: After the loss of his job, he went into a tailspin, grappling with depression and uncertainty.
Other Ways to Say: Spiraling downward, Losing control
39. Paint the town blue
Meaning: Expressing sadness or low mood openly.
In a Sentence: Instead of celebrating, she was painting the town blue, sharing her struggles with close friends.
Other Ways to Say: Express sadness, Show gloom
40. Bottom of the barrel
Meaning: Feeling at the lowest point emotionally.
In a Sentence: After months of setbacks, he felt like he was scraping the bottom of the barrel with his mood.
Other Ways to Say: At rock bottom, Lowest point
41. Treading water
Meaning: Barely managing to cope or stay afloat emotionally.
In a Sentence: Depression made her feel like she was treading water, just trying to get through each day.
Other Ways to Say: Barely coping, Staying afloat
42. A gray cloud overhead
Meaning: A persistent sense of gloom or sadness.
In a Sentence: Even on sunny days, a gray cloud overhead seemed to follow her, dampening her spirits.
Other Ways to Say: Lingering gloom, Persistent sadness
43. Sinking feeling
Meaning: A sudden sense of dread or sadness.
In a Sentence: Every time she thought about the future, a sinking feeling washed over her, fueled by depression.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling of dread, Sense of unease
44. Off the rails
Meaning: Losing emotional stability or control.
In a Sentence: His depression took him off the rails, making it hard to stick to his usual routines.
Other Ways to Say: Out of control, Emotionally derailed
45. Run out of steam
Meaning: Losing energy or motivation to continue.
In a Sentence: Halfway through the project, she ran out of steam, overwhelmed by her depressive thoughts.
Other Ways to Say: Lose momentum, Burn out
46. In the dark
Meaning: Feeling lost or unaware due to emotional distress.
In a Sentence: Depression left her in the dark, unsure of how to move forward or find hope again.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling lost, Emotionally adrift
47. Fade into the background
Meaning: Withdrawing socially or emotionally.
In a Sentence: Struggling with depression, he started fades into the background at gatherings, avoiding attention.
Other Ways to Say: Withdraw quietly, Become invisible
48. On the edge
Meaning: Feeling emotionally fragile or close to breaking down.
In a Sentence: She’s been on the edge lately, with depression making every small setback feel overwhelming.
Other Ways to Say: Emotionally fragile, Close to breaking
49. Numb to the world
Meaning: Feeling emotionally disconnected or unresponsive.
In a Sentence: Depression made him numb to the world, unable to feel joy even during happy moments.
Other Ways to Say: Emotionally detached, Disconnected
50. Under a heavy cloud
Meaning: Experiencing prolonged sadness or emotional burden.
In a Sentence: For weeks, she’s been under a heavy cloud, unable to shake the weight of her depression.
Other Ways to Say: In deep gloom, Burdened by sadness
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct idiom:
- After losing her job, she felt like she was _______ in despair, unsure if things would ever get better.
- He’s been _______ in the dumps since his best friend moved away, missing their daily talks.
- Depression left her _______ in a fog, struggling to make decisions or focus on her goals.
- Missing the deadline sent him into a _______ funk, and he couldn’t muster the energy to try again.
- She felt like she was carrying _______ of the world, overwhelmed by her responsibilities and sadness.
- Despite her struggles, she tried to _______ a brave face at the family dinner to avoid questions.
- He was _______ in low spirits after the breakup, avoiding his usual hobbies and friends.
- The constant setbacks left her feeling like she was _______ rock bottom, with no way up.
- Depression made her feel _______ to the world, unable to connect with the joy around her.
- She’s been _______ on the edge lately, with every small problem feeling like a major crisis.
- After months of isolation, he became _______ of himself, no longer the vibrant person he once was.
- The news of her failure gave her a _______ feeling, adding to her already heavy heart.
Answers:
sinking, down, lost, blue, the weight, wear, in, hit, numb, on, a shadow, sinking
Conclusion
Idioms for depression offer a unique and relatable way to express the complex emotions tied to mental health struggles. These phrases not only enrich our language but also provide a bridge to understanding and discussing feelings that can be hard to articulate. By incorporating these idioms into your conversations—whether with friends, family, or in a therapeutic setting—you can foster greater empathy and connection with others who may be experiencing similar challenges.
Practice using these idioms in your daily life to become more comfortable expressing emotions and recognizing them in others. Over time, these expressions can become a natural part of how you communicate, helping you navigate the ups and downs of mental health with greater clarity and compassion. Language is a powerful tool, and idioms like these make it a little easier to share the weight of depression with the world.