Definition

Noun (plural, treated as singular or plural in some contexts, chiefly British English; also spelled vapors) 1. A state of low spirits, melancholy, or depression; a fit of despondency or hysteria. This is an archaic or historical usage, referring to a psychological or emotional condition once attributed to the effects of internal bodily "vapors" or fumes.

Usage

• The term is used to describe a temporary but pronounced state of sadness, nervousness, or irritability.
• It is often found in historical or literary contexts and is considered dated in modern English.

Examples

• After receiving the distressing letter, she was overcome by a fit of the vapours and had to retire to her room.
• In 18th-century literature, characters, particularly women, were often described as suffering from the vapours when upset or faint.

Advanced Usage

• "To have the vapours" / "To be taken with the vapours": This is the most common idiomatic construction, meaning to become suddenly depressed, faint, or hysterical.
  • The shocking news caused the dowager to have the vapours.

Variants and Related Words

• Vapors (noun): The standard modern American English spelling of the same word with the same meaning.
• Vapour (noun, British English; in American English): The singular form, primarily meaning a visible suspension of particles in the air (e.g., steam, mist). This is the modern, scientific meaning and is distinct from the archaic plural form "vapours."

Synonyms

• The blues
• Melancholy
• Despondency
• Dejection
• Low spirits
• (Historical) Hysteria, spleen

Related Idioms

• The vapours: This phrase itself functions as an idiom, encapsulating the archaic concept of a depressive or hysterical episode.

Noun

1. a state of depression
   • he had a bad case of the blues