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A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.
Phyllis McGinley

Meaning of "doldrums" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD DOLDRUMS

Probably from Old English doldull, influenced by tantrum.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF DOLDRUMS

doldrums  [ˈdɒldrəmz] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF DOLDRUMS

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Doldrums is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES DOLDRUMS MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Doldrums

The doldrums is a colloquial expression derived from historical maritime usage, in which it refers to those parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean affected by the Intertropical Convergence Zone, a low-pressure area around the equator where the prevailing winds are calm. The low pressure is caused by the centrifugal force from the rotation movement of the Earth which is most important at the equator, which makes the air rise and travel north and south high in the atmosphere, until it subsides again in the horse latitudes. Some of that air returns to the doldrums through the trade winds. This process can lead to light or variable winds and more severe weather, in the form of squalls, thunderstorms and hurricanes. The doldrums are also noted for calm periods when the winds disappear altogether, trapping sail-powered boats for periods of days or weeks. The term appears to have arisen in the 18th century – when cross-Equator sailing voyages became more common. Colloquially, the "doldrums" are a state of inactivity, mild depression, listlessness or stagnation. The word is derived from dold and -rum, a noun suffix found in such words as "tantrum".

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH DOLDRUMS


Adams
ˈædəmz
Addams
ˈædəmz
agendums
əˈdʒɛndəmz
customs
ˈkʌstəmz
hiems
ˈhaɪəmz
mediums
ˈmiːdɪəmz
princedoms
ˈprɪnsdəmz
Williams
ˈwɪljəmz

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE DOLDRUMS

dol
dol.
dolabrate
dolabriform
Dolby
dolce
dolce far niente
dolce vita
Dolcelatte
dolcetto
dole
dole bludger
dole money
dole office
dole queue
doleful
dolefully
dolefulness
dolent
dolente

WORDS THAT END LIKE DOLDRUMS

arms
come to terms
coms
drums
Ems
Homs
Hums
in no uncertain terms
ms
on speaking terms
payment terms
Reims
rms
rooms
sums
terms
terrarariums
the doldrums
with open arms
worms

Synonyms and antonyms of doldrums in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «doldrums» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF DOLDRUMS

Find out the translation of doldrums to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of doldrums from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «doldrums» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

低迷
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

capa caída
570 millions of speakers

English

doldrums
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

उदासी
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

ركود
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

плохое настроение
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

marasmo
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

মনমরা ভাব
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

marasme
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Malapetaka
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Flaute
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

不振
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

침체
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Doldrums
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

buồn rầu
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

உற்சாகம் இழக்க
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

धाडस
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

kasvet
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

depressione
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

chandra
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

поганий настрій
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

demoralizare
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

μελαγχολίες
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

doldrums
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

svacka
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

doldrums
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of doldrums

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «DOLDRUMS»

The term «doldrums» is regularly used and occupies the 63.184 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
71
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «doldrums» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of doldrums
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «doldrums».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «DOLDRUMS» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «doldrums» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «doldrums» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about doldrums

EXAMPLES

5 QUOTES WITH «DOLDRUMS»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word doldrums.
1
Matt Bomer
I don't know anybody who walks through life all the time in the doldrums, constantly serious and morose. But that's become what we generalize as drama.
2
Jeff Dunham
I think there's a lot of, unfortunately, unfunny ventriloquists out there, so they've got a bad rap. It came after Edgar Bergen because everybody had a little cheeky boy dummy like Charlie McCarthy, and everybody decided to become a ventriloquist because Bergen had popularized it. He brought it back from the doldrums of vaudeville.
3
Phyllis McGinley
A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.
4
Richard Schiff
It seems not to matter that we are at the brink of a war that may spread beyond Afghanistan and Iraq to Iran and Georgia and then where? To Syria? To North Korea? To China? That we in America are in economic doldrums and are seeing small businesses fold and houses reclaimed by banks and a smouldering panic that is palpable everywhere.
5
Barbara Windsor
I found myself in the doldrums in the early Nineties. I was too old to play the dolly bird any longer and I looked too young to play a woman of my real age. No one ever saw me as the aunt, mother or grandmother.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «DOLDRUMS»

Discover the use of doldrums in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to doldrums and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Escape the Mid-Career Doldrums: What to do Next When You're ...
This is the perfect prescription for a new and exciting professional life. Get your career back on track—whether you're bored, burned out, retired, or fired Changing professions in mid-career is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Marcia L. Worthing, Charles A. Buck, 2011
2
The Doldrums, Christ and the Plantanism
The Doldrums, Christ, and the Plantanism, Rogelio Garcia Barcala's follow up to We are Carrying a Tree Right in Front of our Face, digs deeper into the interrelation of all life in the universe, specifically here on earth . . .
Rogelio Garcia Barcala, 2003
3
Survival in the doldrums: the American women's rights ...
'Survival in the Doldrums' makes an important, double contribution.
Leila J. Rupp, Verta A. Taylor, 1987
4
Economic doldrums
The book relies, however, on an analysis of business investment as the major stimulus to income generation. Economic revitalization through policies structured to provide investment and other income growth-inducing incentives is suggested.
Robert G. McGillivray, 1995
5
The Phantom Tollbooth
From the Hardcover edition.
Norton Juster, 2011
6
Taking Your Meetings Out of the Doldrums
This resource booklet is intended to present a new set of tools and procedures for making meetings more participative.
Eva Schindler-Rainman, Ronald Lippitt, Jack Cole, 1977
7
The Encyclopedia of World Climatology
DOLDRUMS DROUGHT Doldrums are the calms of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The regions are characterized by low atmospheric pressure, high humidity, and thunderstorms. They are often associated with the source of tropical ...
John E. Oliver, 2005
8
Governance in the doldrums: who really governs Nepal?
Contributed articles.
Prakash Shrestha, South Asia Partnership-Nepal, 2000
9
Death in the doldrums: U-cruiser actions off West Africa
Bernard Edwards, a leading authority on 20th century naval history, provides conclusive evidence in this extensively researched work that the impact of the U-cruisers was far greater than most realize and that these large U-boats warrant ...
Bernard Edwards, Bernard Edwards (Captain.), 2005
10
The Doldrums
The Doldrums is a place in which twelve young adults create a bond out of geographical necessity and find themselves emerging from childhood far sooner than they thought possible.
Mel McCabe, 2000

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «DOLDRUMS»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term doldrums is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Fishing Forecast: Lake Norman defying 'summer doldrums' for …
Ford McClary, left, of Rock Hill proudly holds his first king mackerel, a 25-pounder caught this week off Georgetown, S.C. Lending an assist, left ... «Charlotte Observer, Jul 15»
2
Tahoe Market Pulse: A midsummer update — the doldrums continue
In our early June article, “summer doldrums,” we said that we expected a flat market this summer. History was on our side. If, starting in 1965, ... «Sierra Sun, Jul 15»
3
Asian markets end in doldrums; panic selling in China rubs off …
Markets across Asia ended in doldrums tailing the freefall of the Chinese market. Besides, concerns over Greek vote to reject an aid-for-reform ... «Indiainfoline, Jul 15»
4
Alberta economy remains in doldrums, but no recession: ATB …
CALGARY – Alberta's Crown-owned bank says the province's economy remains in the doldrums, but it is not expecting a recession this year. «Globalnews.ca, Jul 15»
5
Tuesday Game Room: Summer Doldrums Edition
Ah, summer is here—and that basically means video games have decided to give it a rest for a couple of months. Now's the time to get out there ... «io9, Jul 15»
6
No doldrums in the land of the free
Newspaper people often refer to the "summer doldrums," when nothing much happens and heat or drought are the only news. The front page is ... «Montgomery Advertiser, Jul 15»
7
3 apps to help kick the post-vacation doldrums
It's never easy to get back into the swing of things after a long holiday weekend or summer vacation. Here are three apps that can help you get ... «CIO, Jul 15»
8
PH claws its way out of infrastructure doldrums
It is no secret: The Philippines has one of the weakest infrastructure ecosystems among the six largest economies in the region. According to ... «Inquirer.net, Jul 15»
9
Even in the ratings doldrums, Paul Henry and Hilary Barry have …
Who's the annoying cameraman on the Paul Henry show trying to bust some moves in the background every time they go to or from an ad ... «Stuff.co.nz, Jul 15»
10
Quebec's FME 2015 Gets Louis-Jean Cormier, Doldrums, Fleshgod …
Before that, though, attendees will be treated to an eclectic weekend of music from Doldrums, Loud Lary Ajust, Face-T, Les Marinellis, PONI, ... «Exclaim!, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Doldrums [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/doldrums>. Apr 2024 ».
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