Cool MateDejected vs Depressed vs Sad
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Dejected
Depressed
Sad
| Dejected | Depressed | Sad | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //dɪˈdʒɛktɪd//🇺🇸 //dɪˈdʒɛktɪd// | 🇬🇧 /["/dɪˈprest/"]/🇺🇸 /["/dɪˈprest/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/sæd/"]/🇺🇸 /["/sæd/"]/ |
| Meaning | Feeling sad and without hope. | Feeling very sad or hopeless for a long time. | Feeling unhappy or low in spirits. |
| Example | After losing the game, he felt completely dejected. | She felt depressed after receiving the bad news about her job. | She felt sad when her friend moved away. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Beyond 10,000 (less common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | B2 | A1 |
| Part of speech | adjective | 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 | appear, be, feel, extremely, fairly, very, about, be, seem, find something, extremely, fairly, very |
| Antonyms | elated, cheerful, happy | happy, cheerful, elated | happy, joyful, cheerful |
| 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. | Using 'saddened' incorrectly instead of 'sad'., Confusing 'sad' with 'satisfied'., Overusing it to describe situations that are merely disappointing. |
| 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'. | Use 'sad' to describe a feeling or situation that causes unhappiness. It is appropriate in both spoken and written contexts. Avoid using it in overly formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Dejected vs Depressed vs Sad
What's the difference between Dejected, Depressed, and Sad?
Dejected: Feeling sad and without hope. Depressed: Feeling very sad or hopeless for a long time. Sad: Feeling unhappy or low in spirits.
Which is more common: Dejected, Depressed, and Sad?
Sad is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Dejected, Depressed, and Sad?
Depressed is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.
Are Dejected, Depressed, and Sad the same CEFR level?
Dejected: B1, Depressed: B2, Sad: A1 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Dejected, Depressed, and Sad?
Dejected: adjective, Depressed: adjective, Sad: adjective.
Can you show an example of each?
Dejected: After losing the game, he felt completely dejected. Depressed: She felt depressed after receiving the bad news about her job. Sad: She felt sad when her friend moved away.
Can I use Dejected, Depressed, and Sad interchangeably?
Not always. Dejected, Depressed, and Sad 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.