Idioms are vivid expressions that paint pictures with words, and they help us communicate complex emotions in a relatable way. When it comes to depression, idioms allow us to talk about difficult feelings—sadness, hopelessness, heaviness—without always naming them directly, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. By understanding idioms that describe depression, we gain new ways to articulate our experiences, empathize with others, and recognize subtle cues in everyday conversation.
Depression-related idioms can also foster connection, reminding us that many people across cultures have grappled with similar feelings and found language to capture them. In this article, you’ll explore fifty idioms that describe depression or deep sadness, discover their meanings, and learn how to weave them into longer, richer sentences. Afterward, you’ll find a practice exercise to reinforce what you’ve learned. Let’s dive into the expressive world of idioms for depression.
Idioms for Depression
1. Feel blue
Meaning: To feel sad or depressed.
In a Sentence: After the holidays ended and everyone left, I felt blue for days as the silence settled over the house.
Other Ways to Say: Down, Sad
2. Down in the dumps
Meaning: In low spirits; depressed.
In a Sentence: She’s been down in the dumps ever since her project was rejected, even though we keep reminding her of her talent.
Other Ways to Say: Gloomy, Miserable
3. Under a cloud
Meaning: Feeling gloomy or troubled.
In a Sentence: He walked into the meeting under a cloud, his shoulders hunched as though the weight of the world rested there.
Other Ways to Say: Troubled, Heavy‑hearted
4. A dark place
Meaning: A period of severe depression.
In a Sentence: During the winter months she slipped into a dark place, where even the smallest tasks felt like climbing mountains in the rain.
Other Ways to Say: Deep depression, Emotional pit
5. Black dog
Meaning: A metaphor for chronic depression.
In a Sentence: Winston Churchill famously called his depression the black dog, and sometimes I feel that same hound nipping at my heels.
Other Ways to Say: Persistent sadness, Melancholy
6. Heavy heart
Meaning: Feeling deep sorrow or sadness.
In a Sentence: With a heavy heart, he packed away the photographs that reminded him of happier summers.
Other Ways to Say: Sorrowful, Heartbroken
7. Lost in the shadows
Meaning: Overwhelmed by sadness or hopelessness.
In a Sentence: She felt lost in the shadows after losing her job, unsure where the light had gone.
Other Ways to Say: Engulfed by gloom, In the dark
8. In a funk
Meaning: In a period of low mood or depression.
In a Sentence: He’s been in a funk all week, skipping his morning jogs and barely speaking at dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Slump, Rut
9. Low spirits
Meaning: Feeling discouraged or depressed.
In a Sentence: The team’s low spirits were obvious when even jokes failed to raise a single smile.
Other Ways to Say: Downcast, Disheartened
10. Crying over spilled milk
Meaning: Feeling sad about something that can’t be changed.
In a Sentence: I know the mistake hurts, but crying over spilled milk will only deepen the sadness rather than solve the issue.
Other Ways to Say: Dwelling on the past, Regretting
11. Face like a wet weekend
Meaning: Looking very unhappy.
In a Sentence: He turned up with a face like a wet weekend, and we knew immediately that the meeting hadn’t gone well.
Other Ways to Say: Miserable expression, Gloomy look
12. Rain on one’s parade
Meaning: To dampen someone’s happiness; cause disappointment.
In a Sentence: The sudden budget cuts rained on her parade, leaving her enthusiasm washed away.
Other Ways to Say: Spoil the mood, Bring down
13. Heart sinks
Meaning: Sudden feeling of disappointment or dread.
In a Sentence: My heart sank when I read the rejection email after weeks of hopeful anticipation.
Other Ways to Say: Felt crushed, Lost hope
14. A lump in one’s throat
Meaning: Feeling emotional or on the verge of tears.
In a Sentence: When the old song played, a lump formed in my throat, and memories flooded in like a tide.
Other Ways to Say: Choked up, Emotional
15. Drag one’s feet
Meaning: Move slowly due to lack of motivation or sadness.
In a Sentence: He dragged his feet to work, each step feeling heavier than the last.
Other Ways to Say: Reluctant, Unmotivated
16. A weight on one’s shoulders
Meaning: Feeling burdened or depressed.
In a Sentence: Ever since the diagnosis, she has carried a weight on her shoulders that no words of comfort can lift.
Other Ways to Say: Heavy burden, Overwhelmed
17. Hit rock bottom
Meaning: Reach the lowest point emotionally.
In a Sentence: Losing both job and apartment in the same month made him feel like he had hit rock bottom with no ladder in sight.
Other Ways to Say: Lowest ebb, Absolute low
18. Downhearted
Meaning: Discouraged; depressed.
In a Sentence: The constant rejections left her downhearted, questioning her path and her purpose.
Other Ways to Say: Dejected, Crestfallen
19. Broken‑hearted
Meaning: Deeply sorrowful, especially after loss.
In a Sentence: He was broken‑hearted after the breakup, wandering the city streets like a ghost in daylight.
Other Ways to Say: Heartbroken, Devastated
20. Drown one’s sorrows
Meaning: Attempt to forget sadness, often with alcohol.
In a Sentence: He tried to drown his sorrows at the bar, but the memories swam just fine.
Other Ways to Say: Numb the pain, Seek escape
21. Rainy‑day feeling
Meaning: A mood of melancholy or gloom.
In a Sentence: Even on sunny mornings she carried a rainy‑day feeling inside, as though storm clouds followed her silently.
Other Ways to Say: Gloomy mood, Sad vibe
22. Feel like the bottom dropped out
Meaning: Experience sudden despair.
In a Sentence: When the test results arrived, it felt like the bottom dropped out of my world, leaving me free‑falling in fear.
Other Ways to Say: World collapsed, Gut punch
23. Tears well up
Meaning: Tears start to form due to sadness.
In a Sentence: Tears welled up in his eyes when he saw the empty chair at dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Eyes filled, Became teary
24. Heart in pieces
Meaning: Feeling extremely sad or broken.
In a Sentence: She held the letter with her heart in pieces, each word cutting deeper.
Other Ways to Say: Shattered, Crushed
25. Drag through the mud
Meaning: Feel humiliated or emotionally battered.
In a Sentence: The rumors dragged her through the mud, leaving her confidence bruised and battered.
Other Ways to Say: Humiliate, Tarnish
26. Cloud hanging over
Meaning: Persistent feeling of gloom or worry.
In a Sentence: Ever since the layoff notice, a cloud has been hanging over our household, dimming every conversation.
Other Ways to Say: Sense of dread, Gloomy aura
27. Sing the blues
Meaning: Express feelings of sadness.
In a Sentence: On late nights he strums his guitar and sings the blues, letting his sorrow drift into the chords.
Other Ways to Say: Lament, Pour out sadness
28. At one’s wits’ end
Meaning: Completely overwhelmed and distressed.
In a Sentence: She was at her wits’ end after months of insomnia, unsure how to keep functioning.
Other Ways to Say: Desperate, Exhausted
29. Fall apart
Meaning: Lose emotional control; break down.
In a Sentence: He held it together at the office, but the moment he reached his car he fell apart.
Other Ways to Say: Break down, Collapse
30. Dark cloud on the horizon
Meaning: A looming sense of trouble or sadness.
In a Sentence: Even during the celebration, she sensed a dark cloud on the horizon, as though joy were borrowed time.
Other Ways to Say: Impending gloom, Foreboding
31. Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve
Meaning: Openly show emotions, often sadness.
In a Sentence: She wears her heart on her sleeve, so when the news came, everyone saw the grief in her eyes.
Other Ways to Say: Show feelings openly, Transparent
32. Tears roll down
Meaning: Tears flow due to sorrow.
In a Sentence: Tears rolled down his cheeks while he silently watched the last train leave.
Other Ways to Say: Cry openly, Weep
33. Like a deflated balloon
Meaning: Feeling drained of energy and joy.
In a Sentence: After the exam results, he slumped like a deflated balloon, all the air of optimism gone.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Flat
34. A shadow of one’s former self
Meaning: Weaker or sadder than before.
In a Sentence: Since the accident he’s become a shadow of his former self, rarely smiling and barely speaking.
Other Ways to Say: Diminished, Not the same
35. Wallow in misery
Meaning: Indulge in sadness without trying to improve mood.
In a Sentence: She wallowed in misery for weeks, refusing invitations or sunshine alike.
Other Ways to Say: Stew in sadness, Brood
36. Carry the world on one’s back
Meaning: Feel an overwhelming burden.
In a Sentence: As caretaker for everyone else, he carries the world on his back and forgets his own needs.
Other Ways to Say: Overburdened, Weighted down
37. A sinking feeling
Meaning: Sudden sense of dread or sadness.
In a Sentence: I had a sinking feeling the moment the phone rang after midnight.
Other Ways to Say: Sudden dread, Foreboding
38. Cry a river
Meaning: Cry excessively.
In a Sentence: She cried a river after the funeral, her grief flowing without pause.
Other Ways to Say: Weep heavily, Sob uncontrollably
39. Broken reed
Meaning: Something unreliable in times of trouble, causing despair.
In a Sentence: Depending on his false promises felt like leaning on a broken reed, leaving me to fall into disappointment.
Other Ways to Say: Unreliable support, False hope
40. In the doldrums
Meaning: In a state of stagnation and depression.
In a Sentence: Sales were down and morale was lower, leaving the whole team in the doldrums.
Other Ways to Say: Slump, Malaise
41. Grey days
Meaning: Periods of persistent sadness.
In a Sentence: The weeks after the breakup were grey days, no matter how bright the sky outside.
Other Ways to Say: Bleak times, Dreary period
42. Heart like lead
Meaning: Feeling very heavy‑hearted.
In a Sentence: His heart felt like lead as he watched the ambulance doors close.
Other Ways to Say: Weighted heart, Heavy soul
43. Eyes like rain
Meaning: Eyes filled with tears.
In a Sentence: Her eyes were like rain when she told us the news, each blink releasing another drop.
Other Ways to Say: Tear‑filled eyes, Weepy
44. Feel the walls closing in
Meaning: Sense of overwhelming pressure or despair.
In a Sentence: During panic attacks she feels the walls closing in, as if the room itself mourns with her.
Other Ways to Say: Claustrophobic despair, Overwhelmed
45. On the brink
Meaning: Close to emotional collapse.
In a Sentence: He was on the brink of tears every time someone mentioned her name.
Other Ways to Say: Near breakdown, Edge of collapse
46. Carry a black cloud
Meaning: Appear perpetually gloomy.
In a Sentence: He carries a black cloud wherever he goes, and even jokes seem to fade in his presence.
Other Ways to Say: Gloom follows, Somber aura
47. Feel hollow
Meaning: Feel empty and emotionless.
In a Sentence: After the tragedy she felt hollow, as though her emotions had been scooped out.
Other Ways to Say: Empty, Numb
48. Bleak outlook
Meaning: Pessimistic view of the future.
In a Sentence: With layoffs looming, the staff shared a bleak outlook about the coming year.
Other Ways to Say: Pessimism, Dark forecast
49. Tears at the seams
Meaning: Emotionally unraveling.
In a Sentence: She looked fine at first, but by evening she was tearing at the seams, her composure falling apart stitch by stitch.
Other Ways to Say: Coming undone, Unraveling
50. Weariness in one’s bones
Meaning: Deep, pervasive fatigue often tied to depression.
In a Sentence: There was a weariness in his bones that no amount of sleep could cure, a fatigue born of sorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Bone‑deep tiredness, Profound fatigue
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct idioms:
- After hearing the bad news, my _______ sank, and I could hardly speak.
- She’s been _______ the blues all afternoon, strumming her guitar softly by the window.
- The layoffs left a _______ cloud hanging over the entire department.
- He tried to _______ his sorrows at the pub, but the sadness stayed.
- When the letter arrived, she felt like she had _______ rock bottom emotionally.
- Ever since the breakup, he has become a _______ of his former self, barely engaging with friends.
- I could see the _______ in her eyes as she watched the moving van drive away.
- Despite her smile, we sensed a _______ heart beneath her cheerful words.
- They were so overwhelmed that they felt the _______ closing in during the meeting.
- On rainy mornings I often wake with a _______‑day feeling that’s hard to shake.
- He cried a _______ after losing his childhood pet.
- She carried a _______ dog with her for years before seeking help.
Answers:
heart, singing, black, drown, hit, shadow, tears, heavy, walls, rainy, river, black
Conclusion
Idioms for depression give voice to feelings that are often hard to describe, wrapping heavy emotions in imagery that others can recognize and relate to. By learning these fifty expressions—and practicing them in sentences—you gain tools to articulate your own experiences and better understand those of others. Remember that while idioms can help us talk about sadness, they are not a substitute for professional support. If you or someone you know feels overwhelmed, reach out to a trusted friend, counselor, or mental‑health professional.
Keep exploring language, keep talking, and know that even in the darkest idioms, there is a shared human understanding waiting to lighten the load.
