() [, ]a long period when there is little economic activity, many businesses fail and many people are poor or without jobs萧条期；不景气；经济衰退◆The collapse of investment and consumption can often lead to depression.投资失败和消费萎缩常常会导致经济衰退。◆We have been through a global economic depression.我们已经度过了全球经济萧条期。◆Is the country sliding into depression?这国家正在陷入经济衰退吗？➡boom , recession , slump ⨁to sink into / slide into / tip sth into depression陷入经济衰退⨁(a) full-scale / major / severe depression全面的／严重的经济萧条⨁a depression deepens / ends经济萧条加剧／结束the Depression ( the ˌGreat Deˈpression) [] the period from 1929 to 1934 when large numbers of people in the US and Europe were unemployed and poor because there was so little economic activity（1929-1934 年的）经济大萧条 [] the lowering or reducing of sth压低；降低◆a continued depression in travel demand旅游需求持续下降◆the depression of energy prices能源价格的下降