Chinese word

郁闷

Pronunciation

Pinyinyù mèn

Meaning

  • adjectivedown

Example

今天一直下雨，让我很郁闷。jīn tiān yì zhí xià yǔ ràng wǒ hěn yù mèn

It's been raining all day, and I feel really down.

Illustration for 郁闷 (down)

More examples

作业太多，我感到有点儿郁闷。zuò yè tài duō wǒ gǎn dào yóu diǎnr yù mèn

There is too much homework, so I feel a little down.

Core concept

Inner emotional pressure that makes a person quiet, gloomy, and slow to act.

Common phrases

  • 有点儿郁闷yóu diǎnr yù mèn

    a little down

  • 一直很郁闷yì zhí hěn yù mèn

    down all the time

  • 郁闷得很yù mèn de hěn

    very down

Similar words

沮丧jǔ sàng: Low spirits caused by disappointment or a setback.
烦恼fán nǎo: Troubled and uneasy feelings caused by worries or dissatisfaction.
难过nán guò: Feeling sad and emotionally hurt.
厌烦yàn fán: Feeling fed up and uncomfortable because something repetitive or troublesome has become annoying.

Definition in Chinese

心里感到沉重和压抑，不太想说话或提不起劲，多用于描述一段时间内的郁闷情绪。xīn lǐ gǎn dào chén zhòng hé yā yì bú tài xiǎng shuō huà huò tí bù qǐ jìn duō yòng yú miáo shù yí duàn shí jiān nèi de yù mèn qíng xù

Word origin

郁 (yù, "blocked or pent-up") originally described dense growth and came to describe a feeling held in, while 闷 (mèn, "stifled") adds the sense of inner suffocation.

Usage tips

  • The word is conversational and situational, so it can refer to a temporary slump without making a medical claim about the person's mental health.

Other meanings

  • depressedadjective
  • gloomyadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word