抑郁

• Pinyin: yì yù
• Hanzi breakdown: 抑 = 扌+ 卬 (hand + upward gaze — pressing down what would rise); 郁 = 鬯 + 缶 (aromatic herb + jar — pent-up fragrance sealed inside)

Meaning

Depressed; melancholic; emotionally suppressed. Describes a state of persistent low mood, despondency, or psychological oppression.

Used both as a general descriptive adjective such as 感到抑郁 (feeling depressed) and as a clinical prefix in 抑郁症 (depressive disorder). The 抑 (suppressed) component emphasises the sense of emotions being pressed down and unable to surface. Common in mental health discourse, literary description, and everyday emotional expression. Less clinical than 抑郁症 when used alone.

Examples

1. 长期处于高压工作环境中，他逐渐变得沉默寡言、情绪抑郁，同事们都建议他去寻求专业的心理咨询。 After being in a high-pressure work environment for a long time, he gradually became quiet and withdrawn, with a depressed mood; his coworkers all urged him to seek professional counseling.
2. 研究显示，缺乏社交联系和户外活动是导致老年群体出现抑郁情绪的两大主要因素。 Studies show that a lack of social connection and a lack of outdoor activity are two major factors behind depressive feelings among older adults.
3. 她在日记中记录了一段漫长而抑郁的冬季，字里行间流露出对温暖与陪伴的深切渴望。 In her diary, she recorded a long, bleak winter; between the lines, she revealed a deep longing for warmth and companionship.

Usage Guide

Context: mental health, psychology, literature, daily life

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 他在失业后的数月内情绪持续抑郁，对曾经热爱的事物失去了兴趣，家人多次劝说后他终于同意前往医院接受专业评估。(For several months after losing his job, his mood remained persistently depressed and he lost interest in things he had once loved; after repeated persuasion from family members he finally agreed to go to hospital for a professional assessment.)
• 社会对男性抑郁情绪的污名化态度使许多男性不愿主动寻求帮助，这一现象在心理健康政策制定中应得到充分重视。(Society's stigmatising attitudes towards depression in men discourage many men from proactively seeking help, a phenomenon that should receive full attention in mental health policy-making.)

Don't Say

• 我今天心情有点抑郁因为下雨了 — 抑郁 implies serious or persistent low mood; for momentary low spirits use 心情不好、有些低落, or 闷闷不乐

Origin & History

抑 (to suppress/press down — 扌hand + 卬 upward look; pressing back what would rise) + 郁 (pent-up/dense — 鬯 aromatic herb + 缶 jar; aromatic vapour sealed inside, unable to escape)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal