Depressing vs Dismal vs Melancholy

Quando usar cada um em inglês, com significado, registro e exemplos.

Depressing

Top 2000 (comum)B2adjective

Dismal

Top 5000 (bastante comum)C2adjective

Melancholy

FormalAcima de 10.000 (menos comum)
Mais formal: MelancholyMais comum: Depressing
 DepressingDismalMelancholy
Pronúncia🇬🇧 /["/dɪˈpresɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/dɪˈpresɪŋ/"]/🇬🇧 //ˈdɪzməl//🇺🇸 //ˈdɪzməl//🇬🇧 //ˈmɛlənkəli//🇺🇸 //ˈmɛlənˌkɑli//
Significadomaking you feel sad or unhappyMuito ruim ou triste.Very bad or sad.A deep feeling of sadness.
Exemploa depressing sight/thought/experienceThe weather was dismal, with rain pouring down all day.He felt overwhelming melancholy after the loss of his childhood home.
RegistroNeutroNeutroFormal
Quão comumTop 2000 (comum)Top 5000 (bastante comum)Acima de 10.000 (menos comum)
Nível CEFRB2C2-
Classe gramaticaladjectiveadjective
Colocaçõesbe, become, get, extremely, fairly, verydismal conditions, dismal performance, dismal failureprofound melancholy, feeling of melancholy, melancholy mood, state of melancholy
Antônimosuplifting, cheerful, joyfulbright, cheerful, pleasantjoy, happiness, elation
Erros comunsUsing it in a positive context, such as 'That movie was depressing, but great!', Confusing it with 'oppressive' which has a different meaning, Using it as a noun instead of an adjective, e.g., 'That was such a depressing.'Confused with 'dismal' vs 'gloomy', Used inappropriately with positive subjects (e.g., 'a dismal success'), Omitting 'dismal' when describing poor performanceMispronounced; often confused with 'melody', Used incorrectly as a verb; 'melancholy' is a noun, Overused in casual contexts, where simpler words like 'sad' would suffice
Notas de usoUse 'depressing' when something causes feelings of sadness. It's neutral and can be used in both casual and formal contexts, but avoid it in overly cheerful situations.Usado para descrever situações, ambientes ou humores que são sombrios ou melancólicos. Adequado para contextos formais e informais.Used to describe situations, environments, or moods that are bleak or gloomy. Appropriate for both formal and informal contexts.Often used in literary contexts or to describe deep emotional states. Less common in everyday conversation; consider substituting with 'sadness' in casual talks.

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Depressing
Melancholy

Perguntas frequentes: Depressing vs Dismal vs Melancholy

Qual é a diferença entre Depressing, Dismal e Melancholy?

Depressing: making you feel sad or unhappy Dismal: Very bad or sad. Melancholy: A deep feeling of sadness.

Qual é mais formal: Depressing, Dismal e Melancholy?

Melancholy é a mais formal entre elas.

Qual é mais comum: Depressing, Dismal e Melancholy?

Depressing é a mais comum no inglês do dia a dia.

Qual é mais avançada: Depressing, Dismal e Melancholy?

Dismal é o nível mais alto, em C2, na escala CEFR.

Pode mostrar um exemplo de cada?

Depressing: a depressing sight/thought/experience Dismal: The weather was dismal, with rain pouring down all day. Melancholy: He felt overwhelming melancholy after the loss of his childhood home.

Posso usar Depressing, Dismal e Melancholy de forma intercambiável?

Nem sempre. Depressing, Dismal e Melancholy são relacionadas e às vezes se sobrepõem, mas diferem em registro, frequência e uso, então trocar uma pela outra pode mudar o sentido ou o tom. Veja as diferenças acima antes de substituir.

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