Cool MateDejected vs Depressed vs Downhearted
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Dejected
Beyond 10,000 (less common)B1adjective
Depressed
Top 2,000 (common)B2adjective
Downhearted
Most common: Depressed
| Dejected | Depressed | Downhearted | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //dɪˈdʒɛktɪd//🇺🇸 //dɪˈdʒɛktɪd// | 🇬🇧 /["/dɪˈprest/"]/🇺🇸 /["/dɪˈprest/"]/ | |
| Meaning | Feeling sad and without hope. | Feeling very sad or hopeless for a long time. | |
| Example | After losing the game, he felt completely dejected. | She felt depressed after receiving the bad news about her job. | - |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | - |
| How common | Beyond 10,000 (less common) | Top 2,000 (common) | - |
| CEFR level | B1 | B2 | - |
| Part of speech | adjective | adjective | |
| Collocations | dejected mood, dejected expression, look dejected | be, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very, about, by, be, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very, about, by, be, become, remain, severely, very, relatively | - |
| Antonyms | elated, cheerful, happy | happy, cheerful, elated | - |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'rejected' which means not accepted., Using it in contexts unrelated to emotions., Spelling it incorrectly as 'dejectted'. | Confused with 'depressing', which describes something that causes sadness., Incorrectly using 'depressed' to describe temporary feelings., Using in light-hearted contexts, which can be seen as insensitive. | - |
| Usage notes | Use 'dejected' in emotional contexts, often to describe someone who is disappointed. Avoid in overly casual situations. | Use 'depressed' to describe a person's mental state, typically in neutral contexts. Avoid casual or flippant usage. It’s more serious than being 'sad'. | - |
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Frequently asked questions: Dejected vs Depressed vs Downhearted
What's the difference between Dejected, Depressed, and Downhearted?
Dejected: Feeling sad and without hope. Depressed: Feeling very sad or hopeless for a long time. Downhearted:
Which is more common: Dejected, Depressed, and Downhearted?
Depressed is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Dejected, Depressed, and Downhearted?
Depressed is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Dejected, Depressed, and Downhearted interchangeably?
Not always. Dejected, Depressed, and Downhearted are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.