doldrums

plural noun

dol·drums ˈdōl-drəmz

ˈdäl-

ˈdȯl-

: 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.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web China’s once-hot property market is in the doldrums.

Rebecca Feng, WSJ, 17 Nov. 2022 Memory-chip maker Micron Technology Inc. last week issued another subdued revenue outlook after failing to meet its sales expectations in the latest quarter, linked to the doldrums in the PC and smartphone markets.

Asa Fitch And Will Feuer, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2022 After the cubic megabucks-era of LMP1h collapsed under the weight of unsustainable budgets, the top class of the World Endurance Championship has spent a few years in the doldrums as Toyota faced minimal opposition from much smaller teams.

Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 29 Oct. 2022 A decade ago, Florida’s Space Coast was in the doldrums.

Cody Jackson And Mike Schneider, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Sep. 2022 Can two guys with cash redeem a team in the doldrums?

John Anderson, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2022 Economists said the cut to the five-year rate appeared aimed squarely at the housing market, which has been in the doldrums for months as home sales slumped and developers buckled under heavy debts.

Jason Douglas, WSJ, 20 May 2022 So begins the second Don Brown era, as the most successful coach the program has ever had returns to Amherst to try and lift the program out of the doldrums.

Amin Touri, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 However, few analysts and economists expect the stimulus package, which amounts to more than 1 trillion yuan, or $146 billion, in total, will be able to lift the economy out of the doldrums.

Stella Yifan Xie, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'doldrums.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.