Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Feeling sad, unhappy, and without hope or enthusiasm: Describes a state of being dejected, melancholy, or in low spirits. It implies a lack of energy and cheerfulness.

Usage

• The adjective "low-spirited" is used to describe a person's temporary emotional state. It is typically used predicatively (after a linking verb like , , ) or attributively (before a noun).
• It describes a general feeling of sadness or despondency, often without a highly specific cause.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • She felt very low-spirited after receiving the disappointing news.
  • The low-spirited crowd left the stadium after their team's defeat.
  • A week of rainy weather made everyone in the office seem low-spirited.

Advanced Usage

• "to be low-spirited": to be in a state of sadness or dejection.
  • He has been low-spirited ever since his friend moved away.
• "to feel low-spirited": to experience feelings of sadness.
  • It's normal to feel low-spirited on a Monday morning sometimes.

Variants and Related Words

• Low-spiritedness (n): The state or quality of being low-spirited.
  • A general low-spiritedness fell over the group.
• Spirited (adj): Full of energy, courage, or determination. (Note: This is the root, with the opposite connotation when not modified by "low-").
  • She gave a spirited defense of her ideas.

Synonyms

• Dejected: Sad and depressed; dispirited.
• Downcast: Feeling sad, discouraged, or hopeless.
• Despondent: In low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
• Melancholy: A feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.
• Gloomy: Causing or feeling depression or despondency.

Antonyms

• High-spirited: Lively and cheerful.
• Elated: Ecstatically happy.
• Joyful: Feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness.
• Upbeat: Optimistic or positive, especially in a difficult situation.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Down in the dumps: Informal idiom meaning feeling unhappy or depressed.
  • She's been down in the dumps since her project was canceled.
• To have a heavy heart: To feel sad or sorrowful.
  • He announced his resignation with a heavy heart.

Adjective

1. filled with melancholy and despondency
   • gloomy at the thought of what he had to face
   • gloomy predictions
   • a gloomy silence
   • took a grim view of the economy
   • the darkening mood
   • lonely and blue in a strange city
   • depressed by the loss of his job
   • a dispirited and resigned expression on her face
   • downcast after his defeat
   • feeling discouraged and downhearted