doldrums

plural noun

dol·drums ˈdōl-drəmz

ˈdäl-

ˈdȯl-

Synonyms of doldrums next

: a spell of listlessness or despondency

fighting off the winter doldrums

often capitalized oceanography : a part of the ocean near the equator abounding in calms (see calm entry 1 sense 1b), squalls, and light shifting winds

: a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or slump

out of the economic doldrums

Did you know?

Almost everyone gets the doldrums—a feeling of low spirits and lack of energy—every once in a while. The doldrums experienced by sailors, however, are usually of a different variety. In the early-19th century, the word once reserved for a feeling of despondency came to be applied to certain tropical regions of the ocean marked by the absence of strong winds. Sailing vessels, reliant on wind propulsion, struggled to make headway in these regions, leading to long, arduous journeys. The exact etymology of doldrums is not certain, though it is believed to be related to the Old English dol, meaning "foolish"—a history it shares with our adjective dull.

Examples of doldrums in a Sentence

the theater scene is usually in the doldrums during the summer the team had been in the doldrums ever since losing the championship we were in the doldrums while we waited for something to happen

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Mainland stock market remains a thumbs down on the government’s stimulus policies as consumer confidence remains in the doldrums. —

Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024 In recent weeks, a number of Western multinationals, from cosmetics giant L’Oreal to carmaker Volkswagen, have sounded the alarm over weak demand in China as consumer confidence remains in the doldrums. —

Chris Lau, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024 The yuppie strode forth from the economic wreckage of the nineteen-seventies: two oil crises, mortgage rates at thirteen per cent, a huge loss of manufacturing jobs in major industries like steel and cars, a stock market in the doldrums. —

Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024 The luxury brand may be in the doldrums sales-wise, but the pair were all smiles. —

Booth Moore, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for doldrums