depress

Verb

depress (third-person singular simple present depresses, present participle depressing, simple past and past participle depressed)

1. To press down.
   • Depress the upper lever to start the machine.
   • As to the fireman, the sight of him at work, swinging round with his shovelful of coal and at the same moment lightly depressing his right heel and so working the pedal which causes the steam-operated firedoors to open like magic in front of the shovel, was always a pleasure.1947 January and February, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 39

   Synonyms:

   downbear, squash

2. To make depressed, sad or bored.
   • Winter depresses me.

   Synonyms:

   deject, get down, aggrieve, attrist, begloom, begrieve, besorrow, grieve, pain, bring down

   Antonyms:

   cheer up

3. To cause a depression or a decrease in parts of the economy.
   • Lower productivity will eventually depress wages.
   • Russia claims the proportion of the grain that went to the very poorest countries was less than 4%, but this ignores the fact that even if wealthier countries were buying the wheat, the extra supply was depressing the general price all countries were paying.2023 July 20, Patrick Wintour, “What was the Black Sea grain deal and why did it collapse?”, in The Guardian
4. To bring down or humble; to abase (pride, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   cut down to size, humiliate, put someone in their place, abase, bring down to size, debase, defame, degrade, demean, demote

5. To reduce (an equation) in a lower degree.