Depression is a heavy feeling that can make people feel very sad or tired. It might feel like there’s no energy to play, talk, or even get out of bed. Sometimes, kids and adults feel this way, even if nothing bad just happened. When someone is depressed, they may not smile much, and even fun things might not seem fun anymore.
To help explain these feelings, people often use similes. A simile compares how something feels to something else, using words like “like” or “as.” This can help us better understand emotions. In this article, we’ll look at some similes that describe what depression can feel like. These comparisons can help you talk about your feelings and understand others better too.
Similes for Depression
1. Depression is like a rainy day
Meaning: Feeling gloomy or sad
Example Sentence:
– She stayed in bed all day, feeling like a rainy day.
– His mood was like a rainy day with no sun.
Other ways to say: Feeling down, low spirits
Fun Fact/Origin: Rainy days are often linked to sadness because they’re dark and gray.
Usage: Used when someone feels slow or unhappy.
2. Depression is like carrying a heavy backpack
Meaning: Feeling weighed down by sadness
Example Sentence:
– It felt like he was carrying a heavy backpack of worries.
– She walked home like she had a backpack full of sadness.
Other ways to say: Feeling burdened, emotionally tired
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from how weight on your back can make you move slower.
Usage: Used when sadness makes daily life feel hard.
3. Depression is like being stuck in mud
Meaning: Feeling trapped or unable to move forward
Example Sentence:
– Getting out of bed felt like being stuck in mud.
– His thoughts moved slowly, like he was in mud.
Other ways to say: Trapped in sadness, can’t move
Fun Fact/Origin: Mud slows people down physically—just like sadness can.
Usage: Used when someone finds it hard to keep going.
4. Depression is like a foggy morning
Meaning: Feeling confused or unclear
Example Sentence:
– Her mind felt like a foggy morning.
– Depression made everything seem blurry, like fog.
Other ways to say: Mentally cloudy, unclear thoughts
Fun Fact/Origin: Fog blocks our view, similar to how sadness can cloud thinking.
Usage: Used when thinking feels hard or slow.
5. Depression is like a broken toy
Meaning: Feeling damaged or useless
Example Sentence:
– He felt like a broken toy, left on the shelf.
– Depression made her feel like she couldn’t work right.
Other ways to say: Feeling useless, not yourself
Fun Fact/Origin: Broken toys don’t work as they should, like someone feeling off.
Usage: Used when someone feels like they can’t do things they used to.
6. Depression is like sitting in the dark
Meaning: Feeling alone or hopeless
Example Sentence:
– It felt like she was sitting in the dark with no light.
– Depression is like a room without a lamp.
Other ways to say: Feeling empty, in a dark place
Fun Fact/Origin: Darkness is often linked with being alone or afraid.
Usage: Used when someone feels isolated or sad.
7. Depression is like a flat tire
Meaning: No energy to move forward
Example Sentence:
– He wanted to play, but felt like a flat tire.
– Her energy was gone, like air out of a tire.
Other ways to say: Out of energy, running low
Fun Fact/Origin: A flat tire can’t go far, just like someone feeling stuck.
Usage: Used when someone feels too tired to do anything.
8. Depression is like a frozen lake
Meaning: Feeling numb or without emotion
Example Sentence:
– Her feelings were like a frozen lake—still and cold.
– He couldn’t cry or laugh, like he was frozen.
Other ways to say: Numb, can’t feel much
Fun Fact/Origin: Lakes freeze in winter, stopping all movement.
Usage: Used when someone can’t feel emotions clearly.
9. Depression is like an empty house
Meaning: Feeling alone or hollow inside
Example Sentence:
– After losing his dog, his heart felt like an empty house.
– Her smile was gone, and she felt empty inside.
Other ways to say: Feeling hollow, lonely
Fun Fact/Origin: An empty house feels quiet and cold.
Usage: Used when someone feels no joy or connection.
10. Depression is like wearing wet clothes
Meaning: Feeling uncomfortable and miserable
Example Sentence:
– Going to school felt like wearing wet clothes all day.
– Her sadness clung to her like wet fabric.
Other ways to say: Feeling heavy, uncomfortable
Fun Fact/Origin: Wet clothes feel sticky and cold—like depression can feel.
Usage: Used when sadness stays with someone.
11. Depression is like an empty swing
Meaning: Feeling alone or like something’s missing
Example Sentence:
– He stared at the empty swing, feeling the same inside.
– Her laughter was gone, like an empty swing at the park.
Other ways to say: Feeling hollow, missing joy
Fun Fact/Origin: An empty swing moves slowly with the wind, showing loneliness.
Usage: Used when someone feels they have lost fun or connection.
12. Depression is like a gray sky
Meaning: Feeling dull or hopeless
Example Sentence:
– His mood was like a gray sky with no sunshine.
– Every day felt cloudy and gray inside her.
Other ways to say: Feeling low, gloomy
Fun Fact/Origin: Gray skies often come before rain, just like sadness before tears.
Usage: Used when everything feels colorless or sad.
13. Depression is like a wilted flower
Meaning: Feeling lifeless or drained
Example Sentence:
– She used to smile, but now looked like a wilted flower.
– Depression made him feel droopy and weak.
Other ways to say: No energy, looking tired
Fun Fact/Origin: Flowers wilt without sunlight—people can feel that way too.
Usage: Used when someone feels weak and lifeless.
14. Depression is like a sinking boat
Meaning: Feeling like things are getting worse
Example Sentence:
– He felt like a boat with holes, sinking slowly.
– Depression made her feel like she was going under.
Other ways to say: Losing hope, falling apart
Fun Fact/Origin: Boats sink when they take in too much water—like sadness.
Usage: Used when someone feels they can’t stay afloat.
15. Depression is like a puzzle with missing pieces
Meaning: Feeling incomplete
Example Sentence:
– Her happiness felt like a puzzle with missing pieces.
– No matter what he did, he felt not whole.
Other ways to say: Feeling broken, not complete
Fun Fact/Origin: Puzzles need all parts to make sense—so do people.
Usage: Used when something feels missing inside.
16. Depression is like a slow song on repeat
Meaning: Feeling stuck in sadness
Example Sentence:
– His days felt like a sad song playing over and over.
– She couldn’t stop the slow tune in her mind.
Other ways to say: Same sadness daily, feeling stuck
Fun Fact/Origin: Repetitive songs can set the mood, especially slow ones.
Usage: Used when someone feels stuck in a sad loop.
17. Depression is like being under a blanket all day
Meaning: Wanting to hide or rest all the time
Example Sentence:
– Depression made him stay under his blanket all day.
– She didn’t want to get up or face the day.
Other ways to say: Wanting to disappear, feeling tired
Fun Fact/Origin: Blankets give comfort but can also hide us from the world.
Usage: Used when someone wants to be alone or hidden.
18. Depression is like ice on your heart
Meaning: Feeling cold and unable to feel love
Example Sentence:
– Her heart felt frozen, like ice had formed around it.
– He didn’t feel excited or warm inside anymore.
Other ways to say: Numb, shut off
Fun Fact/Origin: Ice stops warmth from coming through.
Usage: Used when someone feels emotionally cold.
19. Depression is like being lost in the woods
Meaning: Not knowing what to do or where to go
Example Sentence:
– His mind felt like he was lost in the woods.
– She felt trapped in sadness, with no path out.
Other ways to say: Feeling confused, unsure
Fun Fact/Origin: Getting lost in nature can be scary and lonely.
Usage: Used when someone feels stuck and confused.
20. Depression is like a balloon losing air
Meaning: Losing energy slowly
Example Sentence:
– Her mood was like a balloon slowly going flat.
– Each day he felt a little less full of life.
Other ways to say: Losing energy, deflating
Fun Fact/Origin: Balloons float when full, but sag when air is gone.
Usage: Used when energy or joy fades over time.
21. Depression is like a shadow you can’t shake
Meaning: Always feeling sad, even when things seem fine
Example Sentence:
– He laughed, but the shadow of sadness was still there.
– Depression was like a shadow following her around.
Other ways to say: Feeling down, sadness lingers
Fun Fact/Origin: Shadows follow wherever you go, even in the sun.
Usage: Used when sadness doesn’t go away.
22. Depression is like a slow leak
Meaning: Losing joy little by little
Example Sentence:
– Each day felt like joy leaking out of his life.
– She was slowly draining, like a tire with a leak.
Other ways to say: Fading joy, slow sadness
Fun Fact/Origin: Tires go flat slowly with a leak, just like mood.
Usage: Used when energy or happiness fades slowly.
23. Depression is like a bird with no song
Meaning: Feeling quiet or without joy
Example Sentence:
– He used to sing, but now he was like a silent bird.
– Her smile was gone, like a bird without a song.
Other ways to say: Feeling joyless, lost spark
Fun Fact/Origin: Birds often sing when happy or free.
Usage: Used when someone loses their cheer.
24. Depression is like a light that won’t turn on
Meaning: Feeling dark or shut off inside
Example Sentence:
– No matter how hard he tried, his light wouldn’t turn on.
– Depression made her feel like the power was out inside.
Other ways to say: Feeling off, dark inside
Fun Fact/Origin: Lights brighten things, so no light feels sad.
Usage: Used when nothing cheers someone up.
25. Depression is like old paint peeling off a wall
Meaning: Feeling worn out or forgotten
Example Sentence:
– He felt like old paint, no longer bright.
– Her happiness peeled away, like paint left in the sun.
Other ways to say: Fading joy, feeling forgotten
Fun Fact/Origin: Paint peels when it’s old and weathered—like long sadness.
Usage: Used when someone feels worn down.
26. Depression is like a garden with no sun
Meaning: No energy to grow or feel better
Example Sentence:
– Her mind felt like a garden with no sun or rain.
– His ideas didn’t grow, like a dry flower bed.
Other ways to say: No growth, no joy
Fun Fact/Origin: Plants need sun—people need joy.
Usage: Used when someone feels no progress.
27. Depression is like walking through molasses
Meaning: Everything feels slow and hard
Example Sentence:
– Depression made school feel like walking through molasses.
– His legs were heavy, like stuck in syrup.
Other ways to say: Moving slowly, stuck
Fun Fact/Origin: Molasses is very slow to pour or walk in.
Usage: Used when everything feels difficult.
28. Depression is like a story with no ending
Meaning: Feeling stuck in sadness with no way out
Example Sentence:
– Each day was the same, like a story that wouldn’t end.
– She felt like her sadness had no final page.
Other ways to say: Endless, no change
Fun Fact/Origin: Stories are fun because they end—depression feels endless.
Usage: Used when someone feels trapped in sadness.
29. Depression is like standing in the cold
Meaning: Feeling lonely or left out
Example Sentence:
– He felt like he was standing in the cold, even indoors.
– Depression made her feel far from everyone else.
Other ways to say: Feeling lonely, left out
Fun Fact/Origin: Cold weather often feels empty and lonely.
Usage: Used when someone feels distant from others.
30. Depression is like a song with no melody
Meaning: Life feels plain or sad
Example Sentence:
– Her day was like a song with no music—just words.
– He missed the joy, like music missing its tune.
Other ways to say: Life feels dull, missing something
Fun Fact/Origin: Songs need melody to sound nice—just like life needs joy.
Usage: Used when life feels flat or unexciting.
31. Depression is like a phone with no battery
Meaning: Feeling completely drained
Example Sentence:
– He couldn’t do anything, like a phone with no charge.
– Depression left her like a dead phone—silent and still.
Other ways to say: Out of energy, no strength
Fun Fact/Origin: Phones can’t work without power—just like people need energy.
Usage: Used when someone has no drive or strength left.
32. Depression is like a chair with a broken leg
Meaning: Feeling unstable or unable to stand
Example Sentence:
– His confidence was gone, like a wobbly chair.
– She felt like she would fall apart, like a chair with a broken leg.
Other ways to say: Not steady, falling apart
Fun Fact/Origin: Chairs need all legs to stand—so do people need balance.
Usage: Used when someone feels fragile or unstable.
33. Depression is like a song on mute
Meaning: Life feels quiet and without joy
Example Sentence:
– Her days were like music with the volume turned off.
– It was like watching life with no sound.
Other ways to say: Feeling dull, no excitement
Fun Fact/Origin: Music on mute loses all its meaning—like life without joy.
Usage: Used when someone feels disconnected or flat.
34. Depression is like falling with no parachute
Meaning: Feeling hopeless and scared
Example Sentence:
– He felt like he was falling with no one to catch him.
– Depression made her feel like there was no safety net.
Other ways to say: No support, losing control
Fun Fact/Origin: Parachutes help people land safely—depression can feel like freefall.
Usage: Used when someone feels scared and alone.
35. Depression is like a clock with no hands
Meaning: Feeling like time has stopped
Example Sentence:
– Her days didn’t move, like a clock with no hands.
– Depression made time feel stuck.
Other ways to say: Time feels frozen, stuck in place
Fun Fact/Origin: Clocks need hands to show time—without them, time feels lost.
Usage: Used when every day feels the same.
36. Depression is like a tree with no leaves
Meaning: Feeling lifeless or empty
Example Sentence:
– He felt bare, like a tree in winter.
– Her joy fell away, like leaves from a tree.
Other ways to say: Empty, stripped of joy
Fun Fact/Origin: Trees lose leaves in cold seasons—people can feel like that too.
Usage: Used when someone feels joyless or exposed.
37. Depression is like a quiet room with no windows
Meaning: Feeling stuck and alone
Example Sentence:
– Depression was like sitting in a windowless room with no escape.
– It felt dark and small inside his mind.
Other ways to say: Trapped, alone
Fun Fact/Origin: Windows let in light and air—without them, a room feels closed in.
Usage: Used when someone feels closed off from others.
38. Depression is like a game with no winner
Meaning: Feeling like nothing you do matters
Example Sentence:
– Life felt like playing a game that nobody wins.
– He tried his best but always felt like he lost.
Other ways to say: Pointless, never winning
Fun Fact/Origin: Games are fun with goals—depression can take away that hope.
Usage: Used when someone feels like trying doesn’t help.
39. Depression is like standing still while others move
Meaning: Feeling left behind
Example Sentence:
– She felt stuck while her friends moved on.
– He stood still, like everyone else was running ahead.
Other ways to say: Falling behind, feeling slow
Fun Fact/Origin: Feeling frozen while others change can increase sadness.
Usage: Used when someone feels left out of progress.
40. Depression is like a locked door with no key
Meaning: Feeling trapped with no way out
Example Sentence:
– His sadness was like a locked door he couldn’t open.
– Depression made her feel like there was no escape.
Other ways to say: Trapped, no solution
Fun Fact/Origin: A locked door without a key keeps people stuck—like depression can.
Usage: Used when someone feels hopeless and stuck.
Quiz: Similes for Depression
Instructions: Choose the correct meaning for each simile. Each question has one correct answer. Use what you’ve learned from the similes to find the best choice.
Question Key
1. What does it mean if someone is “like a deer in headlights”?
A) They are calm and ready
B) They are frozen and unsure what to do
C) They are laughing loudly
2. If you say, “My stomach is doing flips,” what do you mean?
A) You’re having fun at the fair
B) You are feeling very full
C) You’re nervous or worried
3. What does “like ants in your pants” mean?
A) You’re being tickled
B) You can’t sit still because you’re nervous
C) You’re too tired to move
4. When someone says they feel “like a balloon ready to pop,” how do they feel?
A) Very sleepy
B) Very nervous or full of stress
C) Very hungry
5. What does it mean if someone is “as quiet as a mouse”?
A) They are being loud in class
B) They are sneaking candy
C) They are too nervous to speak
6. If you feel “like a fish out of water,” what are you likely feeling?
A) Very comfortable
B) Nervous and out of place
C) Excited and cheerful
7. What does it mean to feel “like sitting in the hot seat”?
A) You’re in a warm, cozy chair
B) You are being watched and feel pressure
C) You are at a campfire
8. When someone says their heart feels “like a drum beating in their chest,” what are they feeling?
A) Nervous or scared
B) Very bored
C) Full of joy
9. If you feel “like a cat on a hot tin roof,” how are you acting?
A) Calm and relaxed
B) Jumping around nervously
C) Sleeping all day
10. What does it mean if someone feels “like being called to the front of the class”?
A) They feel nervous because everyone is looking at them
B) They are leading a class discussion
C) They are sitting in the back of the class
Answer Key
- B) You feel sad and gloomy
- C) Tired and low on energy
- B) You can’t see or think clearly
- B) Feeling quiet and without happiness
- A) Things are moving slowly and hard to do
- B) You can’t move forward easily
- B) Like they’re missing someone or feel alone
- C) Feeling weighed down by sadness
- B) Numb or unable to feel
- A) You feel like you can’t get out or feel better
- A) Boring and stuck in sadness
- B) Sadness is always there
- C) Tired and drained
- B) You feel something is missing inside
- B) They feel empty or without joy
Wrapping Up
Depression can be hard to explain. Similes help us talk about it in a way others can understand. They compare big feelings to things we know—like rain, shadows, or broken toys. This makes it easier to share what we feel.
By learning these similes, you can better understand your own feelings and listen when someone else shares theirs. It’s okay to feel sad sometimes, and talking about it is a good first step.
