doldrums
noun/ˈdɒldrəmz/
/ˈdəʊldrəmz/
[plural] (usually the doldrums)
- the state of feeling sad or depressed
- in the doldrums He's been in the doldrums ever since she left him.
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- a lack of activity or improvement
- The bond market normally revives after the summer doldrums.
- in the doldrums Despite these measures, the economy remains in the doldrums.
Word Originlate 18th cent. (as doldrum ‘dull, sluggish person’): perhaps from dull, on the pattern of tantrums. From the place in the ocean near the equator where there are sudden periods of calm. A sailing ship caught in this area can be stuck there because of a lack of wind.
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doldrums