doldrums
doldrums Lexical Profile
doldrums Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A state or period of stagnation, inactivity, or slump, as in business, art, or personal productivity.
"The housing market remained in the doldrums throughout the winter months before rebounding in the spring."
A state of low spirits, listlessness, or mild depression.
"A brisk walk in the fresh autumn air helped lift her out of the afternoon doldrums."
An equatorial ocean region belt (known meteorologically as the Intertropical Convergence Zone) characterized by low atmospheric pressure, calms, light variable winds, and sudden squalls.
"Eighteenth-century merchant sailing vessels often dreaded the doldrums, where a lack of wind could leave crews stranded for weeks."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Doldrums" is almost always used in the plural form and preceded by the definite article "the" (especially in the idiomatic phrase "in the doldrums").
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 19th century, probably from the adjective "dull" (or Old English "dol" meaning foolish or dull) modeled after "tantrum". Originally meaning a state of low spirits, sailors soon applied the term to the windless equatorial ocean regions where ships frequently became stranded.